A Goddess?
by ktoll9
Summary: Can one find love in the future or is it all a something that one has to witness from afar? Perhaps a surprising gift awaits our young hero. Rated for possible subject matter in the *future* specifically violence.
1. Chapter 1

_**A Goddess?**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

It was somewhat of a suicide mission or that was what he thought when everything all began. The portal gun he was given had the coordinates for a one-way trip into the bowels of the enemy city-like ship. He would collect the data on their power source and transmit everything back to headquarters, then attempt an escape. If he could bring the core with him, he would try. If he made it, he made it. If he didn't, he'd die useful. However, never in his life did he expect the horrifying sight before him. He'd expected a gemstone, a canister of some type, but never in his life did he expect the entity before him.

Secured firmly to a crucifix-like frame, bare, with tubes and monitoring electrodes attached to porcelain-white skin, hung in mid-air a young, blindfolded beauty with raven-black hair to her ankles. They were using _**her**_ as their power source. The sight sickened him. In a fit of rage, he began to free her. He didn't care at that point if he was caught. The only thing in his mind was to break her free. Release her from the nightmarish bonds. Something led him through the process and warned him not to remove her blinder. He would not question anything that was instinctively coming to him as he lifted her on his back with her slender arms draped over his shoulders and her delicate chin resting in the crook of his neck.

"It's okay… I'm getting you out of here. Even if it costs me my life." He whispered to her, thinking that she was unconscious.

It had to be a dream. She hadn't been comfortable like this for at least a thousand years, not that she had any concept of time at the moment, and she'd certainly believed that she'd never felt the comfort of another body holding her in such a tender way. She'd only ever remembered the cold sterility of a lab. Certainly she'd been talked to, but she could never understand the words that came from their mouths. Long ago they had covered her dangerous eyes, so after that moment she'd only been able to hear their voices and see their thoughts.

In the beginning of her life, what she could remember of it as at least, they'd referred to her as specimen one. Over the years she'd become the goddess, the monster, the core, and a variety of other things to them in their simple minds. They'd attempted unsuccessfully to try and socialize her with humans in the beginning, and she could remember the little boy very vividly. He'd been disgusted with her and refused to touch her or play with her. He'd misunderstood her completely, called her stupid, disgusting, and a monster. It was at that time that they had discovered her as a power source. After she'd touched him, they took him away and connected her to the machines that her rescuer had found her attached to.

Out the only door available and into a hall with his precious cargo wrapped comfortably in the flight-jacket he'd worn in. Then they'd been alerted by her absence on the grid._ Stop… Close eyes, Kuon…_ He heard in his mind and froze. The voice was soft, soothing and feminine, and it knew his true name, not his agency designation. He immediately closed his eyes.

"I must be going crazy from being in space too long." He muttered to himself, but still did as told.

He felt the arm of his companion reach up to her face, and heard the removal of the cloth blind-fold. _**"Take cover! The restraints have been removed!"**_ Someone screamed in a panic. The sound of running footsteps. Screams all around. Then complete silence.

_K__uon. Down__. _She assured him. _O__pen eyes__._ She told him as he lowered her to the ground and she slid down his back.

Kuon reluctantly opened his eyes and looked down at the beauty before him, that was now gathering her hair and twisting it into a knot to keep it out of the way. She had replaced the blind-fold for some strange reason. Well, he suspected it may have something to do with the stone statues that were once screaming humans, frozen in the long hallway. Effectively ensuring their safe escape. "D-Did you do this?" He swallowed nervously.

Covered eyes looked up at him. A small, sly smile crossed her lips. _Reward…_ The voice in his mind cooed. She gently took his hand. _Memory…_ A place distant in his memory flashed in his mind. A place he'd stayed when he was a child. A bright light flashed and when he regained his sight and bearings, he was there. His home as a teen. The place where his godfather still resided in Tokyo Japan… On Earth. Several thousand light years away from where they had been.

He'd lost all feeling in his body and his knees went weak. He collapsed in Lory Takarada's backyard, near the oak tree that used to relax under. "H-How did this happen?" He choked out. "How is this possible?"

She smiled down at him and stroked his hair, turning it back to its natural color, removing all of the dye that had been used to disguise him over the years. _Gift…for you…_ She was quickly learning his native tongue. She'd only ever been exposed to the words and language of her captors. There was also the tiny fact that old memories were starting to surface. She smiled softly and sighed as she gracefully glided to the flower garden near the tree. It really wasn't the time of the year for anything to be growing, and it was barely winter. She waved her hand and flowers of a variety of species were quickly growing and blooming together. Roses on the same bush, bloomed in several different colors as little daisies sprouted around them. Orchids and lilies bloomed on the same plant. There were at least twelve different beautiful alien species that he'd never seen before in his life growing along with them. _Idem_...

"Wh-What?" He breathed out in awe at the sight.

_You are from Idem… Here is Idem!… You are Idem's child!…_

What the hell is going on? "No, you brought us to Earth. We're on Earth right now." He corrected.

_Earth?_

"Yes…My name is Special Agent Ren Tsuruga." He told her.

She gave him a half-smile._ Special Kuon… From Earth. Not Child of Idem._ She nodded.

"No, Ren Tsuruga." He corrected her again. "Child of Kuu and Juliena Hizuri." He grimaced a little. That was a little tidbit that he really didn't wish to say out loud at the moment, but what was he supposed to do?

She nodded. _Ren Tsuruga, Child of Kuu and Juliena Hizuri. Where is Idem? _She could feel and smell the familiar presence.

He shook his head. "I don't know who you're talking about."

She pouted a little, trying to think of the word to describe the relation. Her face lit up. _Half… This half… _She pointed to herself. _Another…_

A sharp male gasp. "Aeva?"

_Idem!_ She flung herself at the new male and wrapped herself tightly around him sobbing._ Idem! Idem! Idem!_

Kuon watched as the new, yet familiar male scooped her up and held her tightly in his arms.

"My sweet, sweet Aeva… Where have you been? What happened to you? How did you find me?" He cooed softly in their language, stroking her hair.

_Those animals captured me, used me as a power source, hurt me for many years. I've only just started to remember everything._ She told him in their shared language. _This one rescued me and brought me here._ She explained before he could misunderstand the situation with Kuon.

"Aeva… Why do you not use your mouth to speak? Why are you wearing this?" He stroked the mask that covered her eyes.

Her head bowed a little, she then lifted her chin and opened her mouth to reveal that her vocal chords had been removed and there would be no sound coming from her throat.

He swallowed thickly and felt the extreme anger burn within him. "And your eyes?"

She turned her head away from him.

He held her more tightly and cradled her head into him, allowing his own tears to fall for her. "I will destroy them for this, Aeva." He declared.

She shook her head.

"WHY NOT?!" He asked angrily.

_They've been dust for a long time, Idem. There's no point to punish those that no longer exist_. She explained.

"Ruto? Who is this?" Lory Takarada asked as he approached from behind. He had worried a bit when the mysterious young man hadn't returned from checking on a strange flash of light coming from the garden.

Ruto looked up from where he was sitting with the familiar female, wrapped in Kuon's jacket. "I apologize for not returning, Sir… This is… Kyoko… My sister." He'd only lied about her name. No one needed to know. Especially those from the species that had originally captured them so long ago. Not that Lory or anyone alive did something like that, but their original names were documented and he certainly didn't want to attract any more attention than they already possibly had on them.

Lory's eyes went wide and he nodded in understanding, looking up. Then he saw him. "Ren? How… What are you doing here? How did you get here? I thought you were on assignment." Yes, he knew Kuon was on a top secret assignment and no, he did not know that it was something so incredibly dangerous.

"Hi, Uncle Lory… I um… I guess I finished a little early." He fibbed a little. Well, it wasn't so much of a lie. He did in fact finish more quickly than he thought. He just didn't know what he was going to say about… Kyoko? Ruto's sister… or was she?

_Idem? Why do they call you by Ruto and why do you tell them I am Kyoko?_ She asked innocently.

_Because M__y Half__, they do not __**need**__ to know us. It will only bring them harm_. He explained.

Lory knew there was more to this than met the eye. He would ask later and hoped that Ruto would give him enough information to keep the pair safe, along with Kuon.

_Idem? What is a sister?_ She asked as she snuggled into his warmth.

_It is what they call those that are created together as you are to me. I am your brother and you are my sister, yet they do not pair theirs as our kind do. __They still live with only 23 pairs of chromosomes in their DNA. They have not yet evolved properly yet._ He explained.

_Oh… They are still primitive animals. Are they not too dangerous? _She asked worried by those surrounding them.

He shook his head. _Only if they know what we are. They fear what they do not understand._ He explained as they entered the home of Lory Takarada with a disguised Kuon Hizuri following them.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

Lory was completely speechless when Ruto told him what he was willing to. The man had a pretty open mind, but this was definitely pushing him to his limits and beyond. The thing that convinced him and sent him over the edge of what he thought had formerly been fantasy, was when the pair proved to him what he'd been told.

He watched intently as Kyoko created a little doll of clay. It was in the form of a tiny female human with pointed ears and silky, thin butterfly wings. He then watched incredulously as Ruto created a male version of the same. The siblings sat the tiny dolls between them, took each other's hands, entwining them as lovers, then kissed. Yes, he was shocked a bit, but what shocked him even more was when the two dolls awakened, in the flesh and fully alive, then fluttered out the window of his office hand in hand.

"Oh my god!" He exclaimed before quickly covering his mouth in shock, with wide eyes.

Ruto shook his head and chuckled. "Hardly, Sir. We are just creators and cultivators. Like artists or gardeners. We are not perfect or without flaws." He corrected, watching as Lory grabbed a bottle of brandy and took a large drink directly from the bottle.

"H-Have you ever done this before?" He wanted to smack himself. He shook his head. "Sorry, that was a really stupid question."

Ruto laughed. "Of course we have. You've been living in our art since you were born, Sir. We do have other older works in our portfolio, if you must really know. I suppose you would call it terraforming now. The planning, design, and final product depends upon the medium itself. We haven't done anything in a few thousand years due to the fact that she was taken from me." He finished sadly. "I don't know how things will work now that she is unable to speak and they took her eyes." He sighed.

"How will that affect what you do?" Lory asked curiously.

Ruto shook his head. "It's possible that the females she now creates will no longer have a voice and their eyes will no longer be able to express the emotion they once did. Well, they may still have other indicators for their mates to observe, but I doubt it will be through their eyes."

_How horrible._ Lory thought. He couldn't imagine not being able to see the love in the eyes of a lover.

_Idem… Not to worry, they will still see. Please don't be sad. I've been without for a long time. I've been able to adapt. I will not disappoint you._ She plead with him, thinking that she was at fault.

_Aeva, it's not your fault. You did not ask for such a thing to happen… __yet, I still cannot understand how you can go about as if they were not gone._ He pondered, stroking her cheek lovingly.

She sighed and turned to Lory. _Lory, Child of Earth, I ask you to pardon us for a moment. If it's not too much of a bother._

_Wow, her voice is beautiful._ He thought as it entered his mind. He gave her a shocked look. "Y-You can speak to me?"

She smiled softly and nodded. _Just as I speak to your Kuon. _

He chuckled. "I see. Then excuse me. I'll step out for a moment."

Ruto turned to his other half. "What is it Aeva?"

Her soft hands caressed his cheeks and her thumbs gently smoothed his eyelids closed. _I will show only you, My Half_. She told him and he nodded silently.

He heard the rustle of the cloth that covered her eyes, after she'd pulled her hands from him. He heard a soft sigh. "May I look?"

_You may look Idem._ Her voice in his mind wavered with a hint of fear.

He reached to her face and gently stroked her cheek as he opened his eyes. "You have nothing to fear from me, My Love. Never from me."

She slowly opened her lids to reveal an ocean of swirling, tempestuous, liquid gold suns. She no longer had the irises of gold with a solid black pupil or even the pure white that surrounded them. Little golden tears coated her thick raven lashes, and her delicate brow was still accentuated by the perfect little hairs of her brows. He smiled softly. "As you have always been, you will still be eternally beautiful." He whispered, leaned forward and gently kissed her golden tears that had trickled down her cheeks, before pulling her into a hug.

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Kuon asked with worry.

Lory nodded absently. "Yeah…" He glanced at his godson. "Are you okay?.. You know, with how she brought you here? I know this isn't exactly the place you'd like to be right now." He sat in the library with the very stoic 19 year old.

Kuon rubbed the knot in the back of his neck and sighed. "It's all so… I don't know, unbelievably strange. I have no idea what I'm going to put in my report." He confessed.

Lory took a drink of the whiskey he'd poured himself earlier, and lit a cigar. "You cannot tell them about her." It was more of a plea than a demand.

Kuon shook his head. "I never planned on it. They would probably try to do the same as the others if I did…" He leaned back into his seat and crossed his legs, then sighed.

Lory waved the bottle of liquor in front of him. "Need a drink?"

Kuon chuckled. "Need one? Yes. However, I'm not old enough to drink yet, Uncle. You know that." He smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Bah! You're still boring. When ya gonna go out and find a proper girlfriend?" He jabbed.

Kuon groaned. "I don't need a girlfriend right now." He sighed out. "What I do need, is to think up something believable to report. I'm pretty sure they won't say anything about the girl, but I will need to think up something convincing to replace her existence and how I actually got out of the lab." He sat rubbing his temples.

Lory patted his knee. "You're thinking too much. Just keep it simple and as close to the facts as possible. It'll be easier to remember that way and more believable. You better do it soon though or they're going to wonder why you spent so much time here without reporting in even though you got out." He warned.

* * *

He watched as she put the blindfold back in place. "You don't need to wear that here, Aeva." He informed her. "Lory would not put us in danger."

_He may not, but there are others that wouldn't understand. I prefer that there only be two that need to remember incorrectly, instead of many._ She told him while tying the soft cloth back in place.

He shook his head. "There are other ways to cover and hide what lies beneath, My Half."

She tilted her head in confusion, as he leaned forward and removed the band from her face, wadded it up in his hands and reshaped it. When he opened his hands again, a pair of strange discs, that looked like eyes remained. _What is this?_

He chuckled. "They're called sclera contact lenses. They cover the eye and give it an appearance different from the original or in this case, the illusion that we need for you. Shall we try?"

She nodded sharply._ What do I need to do?_

He smiled. "We only need to insert them…" He leaned forward. "Here, I'll help you."

She looked up with eyes open, ready for the little procedure. _None will notice the differences?_ She asked nervously.

He gave her an absent no, in concentration. When he finished helping her, he was relieved yet still saddened. They did look like her original eyes, but they just didn't contain that little spark of emotion they'd always had. "Are they uncomfortable?"

_No. Do they look strange?_ She glanced up at him with her new eyes.

He smiled._ No, they are beautiful. Would you like to see?_

_Can we?_ She asked excitedly, shrugging off Kuon's jacket as she arose from where she sat.

He chuckled as she pulled him. _Calm yourself. I'll take you._ He told her, hoisting her to him and carrying her like a child on his waist, in his arms, both forgetting that the others in the household were not accustomed to their innate behavior.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

Honestly, if the pair hadn't been so wrapped up in finally being together again, they would have noticed their audience in the doorway of the library. Lory and Kuon had heard the most beautiful, melodious giggling that had ever blessed their ears. Or was it their minds? Well, it didn't really matter. What they saw caused Lory to choke on his cigar smoke and Kuon to breathe in the iced tea he was imbibing.

Lory cleared his throat as Kuon turned his head away, blushing. "Ruto… Um, how about I talk to Ten and have her help Kyoko find something to wear?" He suggested, stammering a bit from the situation.

Ruto looked at the woman in his arms and chuckled. "Ah… I forgot. We'll be going upstairs."_ We forgot in our haste, that they like to cover themselves._

She giggled. _I apologize. I'll be sure to cover more in the future._ She waved over Ruto's shoulder to the two men as he carried the nude little female up the stairs.

* * *

_I wish to give them a gift._ She told him as Ten styled the most luxurious hair she'd ever run her fingers through.

_What d__o__ you have in mind, My Half?_ He asked, admiring the choices that Ten had made.

"Does she know sign language, Ruto?" Ten asked offhandedly, as she started plaiting, not realizing she'd interrupted the silent exchange.

_Sign language?_ She asked curiously.

_That would be the use of one's hands to communicate with others, when one cannot use their voice or ears._ He explained. "I should look into that for her." He told Ten.

_You could show me later?_ She smiled in approval at Ten's skills.

"She likes what you've done Ten-sama." He commented.

_The choice of garments are a bit restrictive though._ She ran her hand over the leather of the pants she had been given.

"Do you have anything a bit looser?" He asked.

"How much looser?" Ten asked in curiosity and something that she thought was an idea of her own flashed in her mind. "I know! I have something that just might work." She said excitedly.

Minutes later, the beauty would emerge from behind the changing screen _(__after Ten had panicked and pushed her there as the young woman had started to disrobe where she stood__)_ wearing a light, airy, black gown that draped on her, making her look like the goddess of love herself.

Jelly Woods squealed with delight and Ruto smiled softly. _It suits you, My Half_. He told her, then caught her as she wobbled a little.

"Is she okay?" Ten asked worriedly.

He nodded. "She just needs rest and something to eat." He told her taking her in his arms. _You must ingest __sustenance here, and sleep to restore your energy._ He instructed.

_We've not had to do such a thing in so long._ She sighed a little in frustration.

He smiled softly. _Not to worry. Your body will remember._ He comforted her. _Come, I want you to stay with me. I will not part from you again._ No, he was never going to allow her to leave his side again. He'd been apart from her for too long, unable to find and retrieve her. It would not happen again. "I'll take her to get settled in. Thank you for helping Ten-sama. We appreciate your care."

* * *

_Ahh… That's finally done._ He leaned back on the bed and tossed the small communications device next to him. Hopefully they wouldn't question the validity of the report during his debriefing. He had sent them all of the data, photos, and video. They agreed that the portal gun may have had enough power to send him to Earth and didn't ask for it when he'd told them that it self-destructed after he'd arrived at Lory's home. They took his excuse for going there, due to the fact that it had been his former residence and he was now recuperating from his _"injuries"_ he'd received during the mission. They certainly wouldn't question anything regarding retired High Admiral Lory Takarada either. The man was a paragon.

He was happy that Ruto was able to be reunited with Kyoko, but he did not believe for even a moment that she was his sister. He supposed it could be that way. There were many alien species out there that didn't adhere to the strict moral code of Earth Humans. He blushed again, thinking of the female he'd rescued. _She was indeed a beauty and those eyes._ What they were capable of. It was frightening, but they were still enchanting. It was terrible what Lory had told him about her voice and how she would never be able to speak. He did wonder though, why she wore that blindfold in the beginning and only took it off after meeting with Ruto. _Maybe he helped her control it or something._ He thought as he remembered the terror-stricken stone statues in that hall.

He thought of the beautiful little entity as he drifted off to sleep. A calm, babbling meadow caressed his ears; the scent of wildflowers and fresh grass tickled his nose; the warm sun gently touched his skin, and a comfortable breeze calmed him. Everything there told an ancient story of a distant place. He had learned the art of lucid dreaming shortly after Rick. It had been a difficult task leading up to it, but the payoff was immense during the roughest of his nightmares. He watched as a tiny fairy flitted in and out of his vision, that was his trigger. He now knew that this was only a dream. He'd made it something completely fantastical in order to catch his attention. It had saved his sanity more than once and had even made cryosleep more bearable.

He wasn't shocked at all by the person he'd incorporated into his dream, subconsciously. After all, he wanted her there. He couldn't control the content of his dreams yet, but he could certainly control his reactions and actions. He took the opportunity to thoroughly observe what he hadn't before. The tiny details: the feel of her silken hair, the softness of her skin, the soothing quality of her voice, her scent, the fact that she was completely perfect. He'd noticed that she didn't have any body hair or even a navel. It was an unusual thing to think about, but it had caught his eye. Even a being that had been conceived and created in a lab, had a navel. The navel is what attaches the infant to its food-source. Detaching of the umbilicus is the first wound and scar one has in their life. Why would she not have one?

He groaned a little and rubbed his face. He was getting to distracted and allowing his mind to wander in this dream. He was determined to be an observer in order to learn more about the people around him. A dream this vivid, that wasn't a nightmare, was a rarity. It meant, to him, that his mind was trying to tell him something very important and here he was studying every little detail of this female's body as if he were a hormonal Neanderthal. Besides, it was obvious to him and Lory both that she had a very close intimate relationship with Ruto. Even if she were his sister, Kuon was not about to get mired in a mess like that, and there was also the not so small fact that she wasn't even the same species. "Why am I even thinking of these things?!"

He heard a giggle and froze. He'd told himself that he was merely observing and now he had triggered action with his antics.

"Do it again, Corn!" His eyes went wide when he looked up to find an adorable little raven-haired, golden-eyed girl with her hair in puppy ears, wearing the cutest little jumper and ruffled socks.

He examined his surroundings and himself, noticing that he was now a boy of about 10 years of age.

She pouted, taking his hand. "Are you okay, Corn? You didn't get hurt did you?"

He mindlessly allowed her to lead him to the small creek and sat where she'd put him.

"Here you go. This will make you feel better." She told him, handing him her wet handkerchief.

He felt the coolness of the water, and the softness of her small hands as she cared for him.

"All better?" She asked sweetly.

He nodded. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan. Much better." He told her with an indulgent smile.

She looked so cute and so relieved. He honestly wondered exactly who this little girl was, how he knew her name, and where he'd seen her before. _Perhaps in passing?_ "That's good. I was worried about you." She flushed a little in embarrassment. "What would the Fairy King and Queen think if you were hurt because of a commoner like me?" She scolded cutely.

He chuckled. "They would be fine." To be sure it was a bizarre dream for him, but at least it wasn't another blood-soaked nightmare.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

"I saw what you showed Grandpa." The desperate and morose five year-old announced to the pair as they sat comfortably in the garden. "You can bring Mommy back."

"Maria-sama..." Idem took her hand to comfort her and pull her away from Aeva.

_Idem, let her speak._ She gently brushed away his hand from the grieving child. _Bring her back?_ She asked Maria.

Maria clasped her hands firmly in front of her and stared down at them to focus her mind. It had been so hard these months without her mother. Life was so completely unfair to take her away like that. "She was killed in a flight accident. They were coming back from Titan and there was a fuel leak. Her ship exploded on re-entry." Maria explained with more maturity than anyone could expect from a child that age.

Aeva sighed. _I cannot do that, child. I'm very sorry._ She told her in sadness.

Maria's brow furrowed in grief and anger. "Why not?! You made those little fairies! Why can't you bring back Mommy?!" She howled indignantly.

Aeva reached up and caressed Maria's hair and face, instantly calming her._ Child… I'm aware that you grieve for your mother, but you ask something of me that isn't possible. If I created another, it would not be like her at all. It would only be a replica. The heart that cared for you and t__hat__ you care__d__ for is no longer. It would be another that only resembled her in appearance._ She explained. _It would not h__ave a heart for__ you as your mother did and it would only bring you more pain from the loss._

Maria burst into a flood of tears and flung herself into the arms of the strange woman. Aeva could feel the child's pain deeply and shed golden tears of her own from the profound pain. _There, there… One day it will lessen and you will find your place, little one._ She consoled the child.

Once she was finally calmed and sleeping, Aeva gently brushed the hair from her face and gently kissed her temple. She glanced up at Idem. _We shouldn't stay much longer._ She told him. _They will begin to depend upon us too much._

He nodded in agreement. The last time they had stayed and someone knew of their identities, they had been worshiped as gods and expected to behave accordingly. At the moment, only Lory and Maria knew the full circumstances, and Kuon and Ten knew of their existence. It was easier to alter the memories of four, than millions. So it was decided that they would leave a gift to the little pseudo-family and soon be on their way, after turning their memories to dreams and imaginings.

* * *

On the bed lay a life-sized replica of the stunning female. They had taken great care in creating this one. She was a gift to the people that reunited them and changed their lives. It wasn't fully completed yet, but she did have the same hair and the enchanting golden eyes that Idem had once loved so dearly before they had been taken from his other half. A deep, rich, molten gold, with little lines of red and several shades of the golden color from light to dark. Anyone that would see them in the future would say that they were almost magical to look at. Her voice would be perfectly feminine, soothing, and musical, just like her creator's voice; however, it would not have the dangerous effects of destruction or creation when heard. Her skin would be as soft as a rose's petals. Her genetics, if ever examined, would be fully human without a single flaw, genetically perfect. For the lack of a better word, she would be the perfect female human specimen.

_We have not created something like this e__ver__, My Love. Are you certain __that you wish to leave her on this planet without a guaranteed match? It would be a waste if they choose to reject her._ He asked, making sure Aeva was firm on her decision for this gift.

She nodded and smiled softly._ They will accept her. If not now, she will be loved and cared for._ She told him, remembering the images that Kuon had for his ideal mate. _This little one was tailored specifically for K__uon__, Maria, and Lory_. She would be drawn to them as they would be to her. As well would many others.

He nodded in agreement. _To assure her safety, we should leave a small part of us within her. It will help her adapt and learn quickly._ He instructed, pricking his finger and then Aeva's with a pin he had taken from Maria's sewing kit. Four little drops from each finger, dripped onto the doll's tongue and slid effortlessly down her throat. In the final step, each stood opposite of each other on each side of the bed. They both leaned down and kissed her gently on her forehead. The male placed his mouth over her nose and the female placed hers over her mouth, and they both exhaled, breathing life into her.

Aeva stroked her hair as she watched the newly born mid-teen girl's chest rise and fall in breath. Idem kissed her crown once again, instilling the basic knowledge for her age. _"Take care daughter, we will see you again one day." _

The pair took one last look at their sleeping daughter, embraced each other, and in a flash of light they were gone.

* * *

Beautiful golden eyes fluttered open to the morning light. Unused muscles stretched for the first time, and new lungs breathed in the fresh air that filtered into the room from the open window. Unknowingly, she had been informed through the memories of others, where she was. It was a large bedroom decorated perfectly for a young woman. She sat up and blushed at the state of her undress, then quickly and clumsily sprung from the bed, then donned a silky nightgown and robe.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked into the full-length mirror at her reflection for the first time, and finger combed the long, silken, waist-length raven locks. She yawned once again, and startled. It felt as though she'd just awakened from a hundred years of sleep. Everything was familiar, yet so new to her. She didn't know how to explain it.

A knock came on her door, it flung open and a five year-old bullet launched into her arms. "Good Morning, Oba-chan!" This was the only person that the five year old had truly warmed up to in this time after her mother's death. She liked Ren, but he seemed like all the others with his adult sympathies; however, he wasn't like the other adults around her. Kyoko understood her. Kyoko was adopted by Grandfather and had no family before. At least, none that anyone could remember.

Kyoko giggled, hugging the child tightly. "Good Morning, Maria. Have you washed your face and brushed your teeth yet?"

Maria stood in a daze, not sure why her mind had blanked a bit. "I um… Nope! Guess what?! Ren-sama's here!" She recovered quickly.

It was strange, she knew the name. She knew that her father had taken him in as his godson. There were also a few things she knew about him that she suspected that she wasn't supposed to know. Like him being Kuon Hizuri. Maria didn't even know that. But, she really didn't know the man himself enough to know this information. According to memory, she'd only met him a few times in passing. Those particular memories were courtesy of her creator father, but none would know that other than Idem and Aeva. "Ah… Go get cleaned up and I'll meet you downstairs." Kyoko ordered gently.

Maria skipped to the door. "Oh! Grandfather is hiring a new bodyguard to replace the old one today." Maria informed her as she left the room. Maria stopped outside the closed door, attempting to clear her foggy mind. _W__hat was his name__?_ Try as she might, she couldn't think of his name. Now that she thought a little more, she'd never personally heard Grandfather say his name and she'd been so distressed these few months that she didn't care to get to really know him. Besides, she had her Oba-chan, that's all she felt she needed. She shrugged her shoulders and ran to get ready for breakfast like her aunt instructed.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

He'd met her a couple of times before, as his memory told him. She was cute then, in a little sister kind of way. Although now that she sat across from him at the dining table, scolding Maria-chan for avoiding certain aspects of her nutrition, he couldn't keep from catching little glimpses of her here and there. She was only fifteen and she was breathtakingly beautiful. He could only imagine how stunning she would be in a couple of years when all of the baby-fat had melted away and her body finished developing. He had to say that the two most beautiful things he found in her were her enchanting golden eyes and her fine, silken, raven hair.

Her eyes made him want to look at them all day, which is why he avoided looking into them. He didn't want or need that kind of mindless distraction. Her hair made his fingers itch to touch out of curiosity, which is why he dared not get too close or his intentions would be misinterpreted by many. It would be safe to say that his impulses were the same as a toddler's when they see something they like. They want to touch, smell, taste, and feel. Of course they would also like to nibble, suck, lick, squeeze, and pull, but his mind had not yet made _**that**_ primal connection. He'd only just truly met her for the second or third time in his nineteen years of life, and she was still in that gilded zoo exhibit enclosure boldly marked **Off Limits**. Sure, a few years ago he did know young men back home that were of the opinion that if she was old enough to bleed, she was old enough to breed, but he was most definitely _**not**_ one of them. So to think of her in that way was the furthest thing from his mind. He still saw the little girl in his dream, that had played with him in the meadow. Not once did he think it was strange that those were the only memories he had of her or that the memories were so completely fresh in his mind.

"Did they say when they wanted you back?" Lory asked casually while sopping up egg yolk with toast.

Ren shook his head, before blowing on his hot coffee and taking a sip. He sighed out. "I should probably head out to Headquarters in a couple of days."

Lory nodded. "Ah… That's right, they have a transporter there. Anxious to get back to the Hydra System?"

Ren nodded. "They're studying that new planet they discovered." He fibbed a little due to the mixed company. He knew Lory would understand that they were trying to keep the other side from stripping the planet of all of its resources and leaving it just an empty shell. There were at the very least four planets in that particular constellation that were habitable and they needed protection. Those type of humans were like a communicable disease, destroying everything they touched. Although there were few of them, they were capable of doing a nasty job on a young planet. Of course he knew that there were many more habitable planets in the vast reaches of space, but he and others also knew that things like that were to be cherished, and organizations like Akatoki Industries were a black mark on the reputation of Earth Origin humans. Humanity already had a few strikes against them, the Coalition didn't need more reasons to look down on Earthlings.

"Well at any rate, it is nice to have you here for Maria and Kyoko's birthdays. Not to mention the holidays. Would you mind staying for a couple of more days? The girls have planned a little get-together to celebrate the most important people in their lives." Lory glanced at the two women in his life and smiled softly.

"Papa… You shouldn't keep Tsuruga-san away from his work. I'm sure he has much better things, and I'm certain that he most likely would very much like to spend something like that with his family too." Kyoko scolded.

Ren shook his head. "Sorry, I really can't stay. I have a mission debrief. If I don't show up within the next 24 hours, they'll come for me." They should have picked him up immediately when his location was discovered, but he was with Lory so they had overlooked the few extra days.

Lory nodded in understanding. "I understand. Just make sure you're here next year, Boy."

"It's okay Grandpa. We aren't babies anymore. Oba-chan and I understand that Ren-sama has more important things to do." She said cheerily; although, her words did make Ren feel guilty for not being able to attend, and Lory a little sad that she felt that there was something more important than her on her birthday.

Kyoko was confused, the concept of a birthday had not been instilled in her mind. Her mother and father did not celebrate such things. One tends to forget such things after a few million years, and the holidays were the furthest thing from Ruto's mind when giving her the knowledge to survive on this primitive little planet.

"Sweetie? Are you okay?" Lory asked a little worried. She had been silently staring at her plate, pondering what birthdays and holidays were.

She looked up in a daze. "Um… Yes Daddy. I'm sorry, I seemed to have forgotten a few things." She said a little sheepishly with a light blush. _How could I not know these things?_ Her brow furrowed._ I'll look it up later. I don't want Father to worry about me._ She determined that she would spend a little time on the internet later.

"Ah… It's to be expected. You were sick with a very high fever. Try not to push yourself too much, you still have your orientation for the Academy next month." He reminded her.

Maria excused herself from the table. The conversation bothered her more than she wanted anyone to know. Her mother's death was still fresh in her heart, it had only been a year ago. "I'm going to go check on Natsuko-chan. She's probably really frightened in her new home." She turned to Kyoko, and gave her a look that made Kyoko want to hug her.

"That sounds like a good idea. How about we clear our breakfast dishes first?" Kyoko suggested and the girls cleared the table, then left the room. Something told Kyoko that she needed to keep Maria's mind busy, that the little girl needed a distraction. Maria would talk to her, she just needed to approach it in her own way.

Never let it be said that Lory Takarada didn't take care of his pets. Natsuko-chan, a beautiful female, baby anaconda, no more than a year old. Lory had given her an entire large atrium with a pool designed to feel like a jungle. For a snake, she was quite happy and satisfied with her life. No natural predators in her environment. The temperature and humidity were always perfect. There was always just the right amount of sunlight to bask in, and there was always ample food. She had no complaints. However… there was an unfamiliar being attending the little one today.

"_Who are you?"_ She asked in curiosity.

Kyoko turned and smiled. _"Hi Natsuko-chan… __I'm Kyoko. Did you forget?"_

Natsuko moved back out of Kyoko's unfamiliar reach. _"We __have__ never met… You are new. Your scent tastes… different… __You hear me." _

"Oba-chan… Is everything okay? Did you scare Natsuko-chan?" Maria asked worriedly when she saw the reptile back away from her aunt.

Kyoko looked at her confused. Did Maria not understand what had taken place? "Um… I think so." She turned to the snake and bowed politely. _"I'm very sorry. __Forgive my rudeness. My name is Kyoko, Natsuko-san."_

Maria watched incredulously stunned, wondering if her aunt had completely lost all of her marbles. What boggled Maria's mind even more, was when Natsuko-chan slithered up to her and nuzzled her head to bring her out of the perfect bow.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

Honestly, he wanted to smack the boy for that ridiculous conversation at breakfast. Initially he'd told them that he didn't need to leave in a hurry, then he turned around moments later claiming that he had a mission debriefing and had to be back within the next 24 hours. As if the girls were too naive to pick up on his avoidance. Kyoko had been oblivious to his intentions, Maria had taken it wrong, and of course Lory knew exactly what that look behind his eyes were. Even if Kuon didn't know himself.

Had Maria not run into his office, completely distracted and totally excited, babbling something about how Kyoko had been talking to Natsuko, he would have whacked the boy over the head with an expedition manual. _Maybe Kyoko hadn't been as clueless about the situation after all._ Lory smiled softly, silently thanking his daughter for doing whatever she did to cheer Maria up.

* * *

He'd never in his life felt so completely out of sorts. Yes he'd lied, but it wasn't a complete lie. He did need to give his mission debrief, but they weren't exactly pressing him to do everything immediately. He just needed to get away from where she was before he made a bigger fool of himself. She was just too much his type. It was as if someone had peered into his mind and made her specifically for him. It worried him. He didn't like this unfamiliar feeling. He didn't like that he couldn't stop looking at her. He hated that her voice felt like someone had wrapped his mind in warm silk. No female had ever done that to him and it had him tied in knots.

"So, Ensign Tsuruga?" Lieutenant Yukihito Yashiro asked.

Ren rubbed his face and groaned. "Sorry Lieutenant, could you repeat?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of his coffee. "Really? I know the High Admiral can be bad, but you should be used to that by now." He scolded.

Ren shook his head. "That's not it… It's strange. I can't stop thinking about her. Everything seems to remind me."

Yuki's eyebrow cocked. Hearing something like this from the stoic young Ensign that had already made Special Agent was… interesting._ D__oes__ he actually have a heart? He __isn't__ some kind of experimental cyborg?_ He giggled inwardly at the thought. Yuki supposed that the young man just hadn't met a girl that could move him until now. _How interesting she must be to catch his attention and hold it like that._

"Can't stop thinking about who?" Yuki asked casually. No point in alerting him. It would probably make him clam up.

"Kyoko Takarada, the High Admiral's daughter." He told him before taking another deep sip of his black coffee.

Yuki leaned forward. "He has a daughter? Hmm, she must be quite a prize for him to keep her hidden. What's she like? How old is she?" He was chomping at the bit for more information on this mysterious female. "Come on Ensign… Spill it." He teased while loosening his gloves finger by finger. "You know what my touch does to anything with data." He smirked as he glanced down at the chip with Ren's mission information on it.

Of course he really wouldn't tamper with something like that, but the mere thought of having to re-write it all was rather daunting. "I'm sure he had his reasons, Sir."

"Hmm, last time I checked… only my father was called Sir… 7, 6, 5,…" He teased. He really wanted to know about this girl and it wasn't like anyone had seen the reports yet. If he wanted to be stubborn about it, he could pay for it in man hours.

What was he supposed to say? He was entirely too flustered to say anything at all and too baffled by Yukihito's bold interest. No one had ever teased him that way. One hour later, one would find a sulking Ensign recreating his report and an apologetic Lieutenant making sure that his partner had plenty of peace and quiet to do so. Although, he did discover that Kyoko Takarada had turned sixteen years old a couple of days ago, she had silky raven hair that trailed down her back to her perfect waist, and she had mesmerizing golden eyes that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. He was pretty sure that Ren didn't even know what he'd said. It was definitely going to be fun watching him.

* * *

She had only sat down in front of the computer, for research, for a couple of hours before bedtime. It had all started with looking up what a birthday was; that led to different ways other cultures celebrated; which led to food and what it meant on various occasions; then on to how food and music affected the atmosphere in certain romantic situations. She was flooded with information. By the end of her trek into the world wide web, she was well versed in cooking, how to play several different instruments, how to speak French and Italian, and she had learned quite a few things that would definitely make other girls her age blush a fiery red.

She had also discovered that it was not normal to be able to communicate with Natsuko. That little fact was something that kept her awake through the night. When the sun finally deigned to peek through her curtains, she was out of bed and sitting on her balcony, listening to the chatter of the morning birds and confirming her disturbing talents. Her talents? She instinctively knew languages. Not just human languages, but sentient languages. She only needed to hear a few syllables and it was enough. She also discovered that she learned quickly. Quickly wasn't exactly right… more like unnaturally fast. She'd only spent a couple of hours on the internet and she had learned how to cook, play several musical instruments, what men liked and disliked. All in theory of course. She wasn't sure she was ready to put into practice any of the more erotic things.

Well, she decided that perhaps she would need to keep this information to herself. She most certainly didn't want to bring attention to her family. Normal humans just didn't speak to animals fluently and she knew that one just didn't go about learning things like she did overnight. She sighed. What else was she going to discover about herself? Did everyone change so much after turning sixteen? Was it always so sudden? Should she ask her father? How would he react? Perhaps she could hint at it. Just not tell him everything. Well, it wasn't like Maria didn't already tell him about Natsuko. Thankfully he thought she was just being an imaginative little girl, and she was able to calm her down and talk her into keeping it between the two of them.

She wondered if there was anything else that was unusual about herself and she hoped that she didn't find out after someone else had to point it out, like Maria did. She was starting to worry about going to the Academy next month.

"Auntie Kyoko!" Maria cheerily called out as she burst into Kyoko's room, surprising her and bringing her out of her ruminations. "What are you doing on the terrace? It snowed last night. You're going to get sick again." She scolded.

"Sorry, Maria-chan. I was just enjoying the view." She explained as they closed the French doors and warmed up on the little loveseat in her sitting area.

"Are we still going to the street markets today?" She asked excitedly. It was an eclectic collection of vendors that peddle their wares once a month. The products ranged from food, to books, to handmade music instruments, or crafted candles.

Kyoko furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't we?"

"It's Sebastian's first day… You know… Our new bodyguard?" Maria reminded her.

"Oh! I did forget. We'll still be going. Maybe Father will come with us." She smiled mischievously. "But if he doesn't, we can always bring back something special. Besides, we can't miss that delicious hot cocoa or the freshly shoveled snow, can we?"

"Can we go on the sleigh ride too?" Maria asked in a small voice. It was something she'd always wanted to do with her mother, but Lina had never had the time.

Kyoko smiled softly. "Of course, and maybe some ice skating too… so be sure to dress warm." She reminded her as she shuffled Maria into the hallway so that they could prepare for their full day of fun.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Sorry for taking so much time. I wasn't sure what direction I wanted this one to go in, but now I've been inspired and gone and made it a prequel to another of my stories. Muahaha. A very "Special" prequel. Hope you enjoy the direction and story continuation. **_

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

It was strange. She had all of these memories of things she'd done, yet everything felt so new. She didn't know how to explain it to herself. None of it felt real, the memories that is. She'd had dango before, but the flavor seemed new and exciting. The yakitori that she and Maria snacked on, as they walked with Sebastian while peering into the windows of the many shops that they shared an interest in, were simple yet sublime. Their girl's day was filled with old, yet new experiences for her and completely took her mind off of the vexing discoveries that had kept her from sleeping the night before.

She still didn't know what she was going to do about her attendance at the academy. Something about it felt a little off. There really wasn't. Her true parents had made provisions for everything to make her integration as smooth as possible. Certainly there had been a few little forgotten things like Natsuko, but there had been documents that had appeared in the proper places that night because Ruto was fully aware of how meticulous humanity had become in documenting everything diligently. So, in those aspects she was safe.

* * *

_Black clouds smothered the sun and filled the skies as far as the eye could see. The bodies of several species of human filled what could only be described as a battlefield: humans with the features of animals… wings, fur, and tails; humans that could turn to shadow and command the darkness; humans that could change their appearance and shape at will. So much blood and gore: beheadings, eviscerations, amputations, chemical and radiation burns, and everything that one could imagine of a brutal and sadistic war. _

_As crisp fingers of black and purple lightning filled the skies in the distance, and the roaring thunder boomed like apocalyptic battle drums, the final victor stared up into the blackness allowing the cool rain to soothe the tears of mourning. They never meant for it to happen like this. They never dreamed in their wildest imaginings that loving each other would come with this kind of price, but humans were inherently stubborn; they fear what they don't understand, and seek to study it or destroy it. It was too much to only stand by and allow the genocide of so many innocents. They couldn't and didn't allow it. The price had to be the near eradication of the species known as homo sapiens. _

_The culling of the species had been done to protect the many others that had been targeted by them for extermination. In the end, only a handful had remained. They were collected and sheltered to protect them from the fear and hatred they had brought upon themselves. __It was unfortunate that so few that supported the existence of the other species had remained. A pact was __forged__ and what was thought to be a symbolic union __was made. Only the future would know what the fruit of the spoils would bring._

_**~xoxo~**_

She awakened in a cold sweat, unable to recall the content of what she felt was an earth shattering dream. Her pupils were dilated, palms sweaty, her heart rate soared, and her golden eyes swirled like molten twin suns.

* * *

He awakened with a start, remembering every gory little detail of the nightmare. He seemed to have a lot of those lately. Well, he'd always been subjected to them; however, these weren't the dreams of Rick haunting him, these involved a large scale war on Earth, what seemed like an invasion by many different species of the non-human variety, and an angel that held the identical appearance of his godfather's daughter, Kyoko.

Honestly the dreams in themselves didn't bother him as much as the appearance of Kyoko in them. As an angel, no less. He wasn't a religious man. One did not go gallivanting about the universe restricted by the concepts of religion or its trappings. To him, religion had always been the opiate of the masses. Something used to control others. No, he didn't have any misgivings against those that did believe in such things, something like that just wasn't for him. He'd witnessed too many evils committed in the name of religion in his life to put his _"faith"_ in it. He believed that a man should be the master of his own actions and destiny, and face the consequences of his own mistakes. Not give credit to an invisible being that may or may not be there. He groaned as he sat up from his tousled bed, and raked his fingers through his hair. So, why was he dreaming about angels and demons?

* * *

He was amazed at the young woman that was his daughter, as he watched her spin, twirl, back-flip, and perform her bladed acrobatics. Lory felt the pride he had for her swell from deep within his heart, and he could not fathom how anyone could abandon such a perfect little package at such a young age. It had been ingrained into his memory that he'd adopted her at the tender age of five with no memories of her own past. Perhaps that was all for the best. After all, she wouldn't have been in his life had that not happened, but it was still such a shameful tragedy.

**_CLAP. CLAP. CLAP…_**

"Perfect, as always Princess." He smiled widely, wrapping his arms around her.

She struggled lightly. "Papa, I'm all sweaty." Finally pulling from his embrace.

Lory chuckled. "Alright. Alright. Go get cleaned up and ready for your interview with your counselor at school." He was so incredibly proud of his little sprout.

"What time was it again?" She asked walking out of the gym studio.

Lory looked at his watch. "You have two hours." He looked up. "Don't forget, we'll pick up your uniforms from the cleaners and grab your gear too."

She nodded and waved behind her. "Thanks Daddy."

He chuckled, and turned to Sebastian. "I'll need you for Maria today." Well, it was time for him to get ready too. _What shall it be today? Julius Caesar? King George? The Mad Hatter?_

* * *

Yukihito Yashiro sat the file on is desk and leaned back in his seat. He groaned a little. "Look… I know you aren't fond of Earth, but it's home and it's our new assignment. These things going on need to be looked into. The strange new species of humans that have been cropping up, and why the System Government is hiding them… and not to mention that strange ball of energy that left the planet a couple of months ago, around the same time you left." He sighed. "I didn't want to say anything before, but they were investigating you for that. Fortunately, they cleared you."

Ren leaned forward in his seat and rested his arms on his knees. "So why do they want **us** there investigating?" He sighed out in frustration. Going back to Earth was not his idea of a picnic. Not after everything that had happened to Erick.

Yuki shuffled through the contents of the folder and pulled out a few digital photos. Ren's eyes went wide. "We're going there to check out this, this, and this." Yuki pointed to photos that looked like the creatures Ren had seen in his nightmares, but where was the angel and the so many other types? It was too unreal to even think clearly on.

"What's this?" He pointed to the ball of energy photo.

Yuki pulled out the photo along with four others of the same. Each one zoomed in a bit more than the other. "They believe they're a new lifeform. One that's never been seen." He explained. In situations like this, he honestly wished that he didn't kill electronics with a touch, without wearing the special gloves he was required to.

"They?" Ren asked quizzically.

Yuki turned the photos around one by one. "Look here." He pointed to the clearest one.

Ren's eyes went wide with the revelation of two distinct bodies at the center of what looked like a small golden sun escaping the Earth's outer atmosphere.

"190 centimeters in diameter. Roughly the same temperature as our own sun. After it left the outer atmosphere, the vehicle left our solar system at Warp 9." Yuki explained with a bit of awe in his tone.

"Seriously? Have we ever encountered any species that has that capability? Wouldn't something that fast actually cause harm its passengers?" Ren asked in shock.

"That's what we're going for. The hypothesis is that these two lifeforms have something to do with the emergence of the others. Personally, I don't think so. I mean these others have been cropping up throughout history, just not en masse as they have been recently." Yuki explained, adding in his own opinion. He'd always believed that there was more to humanity and all of those legends throughout history.

Ren looked up at him and sighed again. "Do we have a choice?"

Yuki shook his head. "Nope."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

* * *

It itched like hell, the bite from the large stray dog she'd encountered a few nights ago on her jog. Very unusual for the area and for Tokyo in general, especially in the day and age that she was living in. One just didn't often find stray dogs around anymore. Initially it was like a normal dog bite, but as time went on it seemed to inflame more than something like that normally would, then it had started itching and tingling. It was healing at an unnaturally fast pace, but Dr. Ogata had taken a look at it and gave her the all clear. She shrugged it off and decided to just cover the bandage with her long-sleeved uniform blouse for the student interviews today. If Commander Ogata gave it a pass, there was nothing to worry about.

Lieutenant Commander Aki Shoko sighed audibly as she reached for the handle on the door to her office. Today would be interesting. It was known fact that Admiral Lory Takarada was eccentric. She indeed wondered exactly what his daughter would be like raised in that type of free and somewhat undisciplined environment. If the man was willing to go out and about, in his private life to confidently dress strangely enough for others to question his sanity, and be completely respected in his professional life, what exactly would it be like to actually speak to the man? Would he be coming with his daughter to the placement interview? Would he be offended if the girl didn't do as well as he expected?

She turned to her student assistant. "Good Morning Cadet Nanokura. Who's our first appointment for the day?" The girl could seem like somewhat of a flake sometimes, but she was deceptively intelligent. Aki only hoped that she didn't lose all sense of reason and intellect when she found a boy she was attracted to. So far, she'd been lucky.

"Ah…" She looked down and skimmed through the touch-screen that was embedded on her desk. "That would be Cadet Shotaro Fuwa from Kyoto. He prefers to be called Sho." She smirked. "But, we all know everyone starts out as 'Cadet' here, right?" She shook her head at the newbie's fruitless written request. "He is the heir to his family's resort. I've transferred all of the files to your system of your appointments for today. He should be arriving here in about 10 minutes." She informed her, finishing in a professional tone.

The Lieutenant Commander nodded and took her cup of coffee from the dispenser then sipped. "Ahh…" She sighed out. "Perfect as always. Thank you, Cadet." She turned with her hand on the door handle. "I heard you're taking the test for your Ensign rank… Congratulations on earning the opportunity, Cadet. Keep studying and do well. I think you'll do fine." She shot her a proud smile and shut the door behind her.

Cadet Mimori Nanokura beamed with pride. Nothing was going to hold her back, and the future looked so bright to her at the moment.

* * *

It sucked. He felt miserable, but it was getting better. He was still a little sensitive to sunlight since that filthy little creature bit him, and flew out the open window to his bedroom. The doctors told him and his parents that he would be fine after they gave him all of those miserably painful rabies shots; unfortunately, he had to be one of those people that suffered from a good many of the side effects. He'd been miserable for the past two months since it had happened, and now the mere sight of anything other than a _**very**_ rare steak would send him hurtling to the nearest toilet to empty his stomach.

Here he was now, in the hallway to his new counselor's office, decked out in full uniform for the school, including the gloves. He couldn't afford not to wear it, it was the only thing that he had that would cover nearly every square centimeter of his photo-sensitive skin. The doctors had also said that it was most likely an unforeseen sensitivity to the drug or allergic reaction. Fortunately, he felt he actually looked pretty decent and no one would think he was a freak for wearing it, gloves and all.

He checked his reflection in the counselor's shiny, silver name-plate on the door and smirked at his beauty. A woman… It would certainly be easy getting what he wanted in this place. They could never turn him down once he turned on the charm. The classes and extracurriculars he wanted would be his for sure.

* * *

Kyoko checked her reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that to be sure that her uniform was perfect. According to memory, she'd always been around others, but something instinctively told her that she'd never been around people. That this excursion would be her first time away from home and in the public eye. She needed to be wary of others. Be careful for some reason. She had a very uncomfortable feeling regarding her appointment with Lieutenant Commander Shoko. It was a very ominous and foreboding feeling, and hard to put into words if anyone had asked her at the time.

A sharp pain shot up her spine and made her feel dizzy. As it ebbed away, her temples began to throb for a brief moment and passed as quickly as it came. She took in a few deep breaths and sat, passing it off as nervous tension. She had been previously sick, so it was possibly that. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of that really nasty cold she'd had a couple of months ago.

"You ready to go, Princess?" Lory Takarada asked his daughter.

She nodded in assent and rose from the plush, comfortable armchair she'd previously occupied to catch her breath. She sighed out. "Are you sure this is okay?" She glanced at her reflection one last time. "I mean me going to the academy? Brother went and I'm not sure I'm up to par." She confessed nervously.

Lory smiled softly. "Oh Sweetie, you'll do just fine." Lory reassured her. "They won't compare you to Kouki, they will grade you on your own achievements and merits. You only have to show them your skill and do your very best. Princess, I'm certain you will shine brighter than any star there." He stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

She let out a sigh of relief. Her father always knew how to calm and encourage her. "Thank you Papa. I won't let you down."

He chuckled as the walked to the front foyer and smiled. "I've never doubted you." He turned back away from the door as they left. "Sebastian, we're leaving now. We should be back this evening. If there are any delays, I'll call." And out the door to his limousine they went.

* * *

"Was that her?"

"Mo, don't be stupid… Of course it was. Did you not see her eyes?"

"I thought she would be more spectacular."

"Don't be a fool. She's only just started developing."

"Why did they leave her here?"

"Why not? It would draw too much attention to her as she matures."

"Ah, I see."

"Come on, we should report what we've found."

"Yeah, she's already started affecting those around her. We'll need to move quickly with the preparations."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

Hurling his guts into the toilet for an hour straight was not his idea of the _**"Top Ten List of Things I Enjoy"**_, but it was something that always happened when one traveled in such a manner. Specifically being pulled through multiple teleporter arrays to get back to Earth in a timely manner. Meaning, if they wished to get back to Earth within a day and not within a number of years, as in centuries, they would bear it and suffer a little to make it back before everything and everyone they knew crumbled to dust.

"You okay now?" Yuki asked as he washed his face and stripped off his sweaty clothing to shower.

Ren groaned. "Yeah… Too bad that portal gun didn't have a few more charges." He chuckled wryly.

Yuki grunted in agreement. "It was a miracle it didn't scatter your atoms all over the universe. I really don't know how you do it. You must have had an angel sitting on your shoulder for that mission."

Ren nodded in agreement as he stripped down and stepped into the showers.

* * *

Back straight, long raven hair spun into a perfect bun, minimal makeup, perfectly pressed uniform, dress shoes polished to a high gloss, elegant demeanor, and disciplined attitude. "Cadet Kyoko Takarada reporting in." She greeted with a crisp salute.

Mimori greeted in kind. "Have a seat, Cadet. LtCdr Shoko will be with you shortly. There is one appointment ahead of you."

Kyoko bowed elegantly, thanked her and took a seat. She wanted to relax and look casual, but her nerves just wouldn't allow such a luxury for her at the moment. Inwardly, she was like a tightly coiled bundle of nerves. Outwardly, Mimori saw the bearing of officer material. It would appear that the rumors of Lory Takarada's eccentricities did not pass on to his daughter.

* * *

It all started in the last 15 minutes of his meeting with the LtCdr. The irresistible scent hit him like a wave, almost drowning him with the desire to seek out its owner and bury himself in the flavor of whomever it belonged to. The scent had caused him to salivate excessively and he'd bit his tongue accidentally more than once during that time. He honestly couldn't understand what the hell was going on with his body.

He wanted to take in a deep breath to calm himself, but doing that would only make things worse. It was getting so bad in the last few minutes that even now his mouth felt like he'd bit down on a hot poker fresh out of a kiln. He casually closed his eyes to fight the discomfort of the sunlight shining into the office, and turned away slightly. The exposed flesh on his upper-neck and face tingled as if he'd been in the sun too long at the beach._ It's getting worse. Maybe sunblock will help._ He thought to himself as the LtCdr finished gathering the materials to stuff into his folder regarding the rules, class scheduling, and extra-curriculars.

**_~xoxo~_**

Inwardly, Aki was restless. The last 15 minutes of the meeting she had with Cadet Fuwa was the most miserable 15 minutes of her life. Her skin started to itch and sting. Even the slightest sound seemed to be amplified and booming in her ears. Finally, that horrible smell. It was as if there were a corpse in her office left to rot for two months. It took everything within her to keep herself from tossing the boy out on his ear and demanding that he bathe properly or change colognes.

Honestly, he seemed uncomfortable to her too, but oddly enough he didn't sweat, his breathing wasn't noticeable, and he seemed to be shying away from her for some reason. She decided to speed things up and send him on his way. That would be the best for both of them. Teen boys always seemed to be a bit more difficult to communicate with than most of the girls anyway, for her.

She handed him his Welcome Package, and stood from her seat. "You are dismissed, Cadet… and welcome to your future."

"Thank you." Sho stood and saluted, before opening the office door.

As he stepped out, it felt as if someone had reached into his chest and gripped his heart. It took everything in him to keep his composure. She was a bit plain, not really his normal type, and seemed rather ordinary at first glance; however, something drew his eyes to her in a tunneled vision. Once he actually took a good look at her, she had a golden aura surrounding her, her eyes looked like two twin suns, swirling with a blazing, stormy heat. Her scent was the most alluring thing he'd ever experienced in his young life, and he could tell instantly that this was the owner of that delicious scent that had been tormenting him during his meeting.

He flashed a sexy grin that had always worked on girls before, and took a step in her direction.

"Cadet Takarada, the LtCdr will see you now." Mimori announced, stopping Sho in his tracks.

Kyoko looked up from the magazine she'd been reading, and quickly placed it on the table how she'd found it. "Thank you very much." She nodded to Mimori, breezed past the young man in the room, and through the door.

An hour later, medical records had been delivered, scheduling had been arranged, and the tests for her extracurriculars had been arranged. LtCdr Shoko had called ahead and arranged for her to take them immediately, so that she could start attending classes at the beginning of the next week. All she had left to do was go home, pack the necessities, make sure her uniforms and gear were in order, and say her temporary goodbyes before she moved into the dormitories.

* * *

Aki Shoko felt a sudden sense of relief when the Takarada heiress left her office and the building. In all of her years of being a counselor, she had never experienced such an imposing atmosphere as she did with Kyoko Takarada. The girl was demure and modest, polite to a fault, but her bearing made Aki feel like she was standing before a queen. Inwardly, she had been flustered and somewhat intimidated. She felt like she had just met some kind of tyrannical ruler from ancient times and survived by the skin of her teeth.

She sighed out, rubbing her temples. "Cadet, do we have any other appointments for the day?" She didn't even have the energy to check on her own.

Mimori looked up at her superior and noticed her pallid, haggard look. She quickly checked. "No ma'am. I believe only those two were scheduled due to the midterm admission."

Aki sighed in relief. "You're dismissed, Cadet. Enjoy lunch and the rest of your day. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mimori's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Ma'am. Enjoy your day." She said cheerily as she packed up her belongings. An early day meant more time to study for her advancement exams.

"Haruki… I have an early day. Want to go to lunch?" She spoke into her phone to her best friend. She really needed to vent out this particularly stressful day. Perhaps Haruki Asami would understand.

* * *

The LME Academy spans the area of a large university. It is the most prominent in preparing students to be professionals in every field: science, psychology, entertainment, and so much more. Their education begins in the first years of high school and finish at college level, separating students only by their ability, not their maturity. In other words, if a student of the age of 14 has the ability to learn at a college level, they attend and graduate as such.

This large school also serves to train and educate elite military officers. Said future officers contribute by lending assistance in the fields of intelligence, monitoring, infantry, space flight and exploration, medical, research and development, and so much more. Which brings us to the reason why Ren and Yuki were now being shown to an office in the intelligence and monitoring division.

Yuki looked over at Ren as they walked together to their new office. "You have quite a bit on your plate this next month."

Ren nodded in agreement, and sighed.

"Are you ready for the advancement exams?" Yuki spoke quietly.

Ren groaned a little before they finally reached their destination. "I've studied, but I'm not sure I'm ready. Haven't had any real time to go over it all because of everything going on." He confessed.

Yuki patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Ensign. Have a little faith." He pointed to a door. "Ah, here it is 212B."

Ren chuckled. "Looks like they were expecting us." He commented, pointing to the name plates on the wall next to the door.

Yuki smiled wistfully. "Brings back a few memories."

* * *

"I don't know why they're making you go with me. It's not like I haven't been attending for the past year." She complained to her companion.

The other sighed. "You know she'll need our protection very soon. She isn't like us."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. She's technically only four months old. I just don't get why they would just place her instead of just an immaculate conception or something." The other groused as she brushed out her beautiful, plush tails.

"Our job is not to question the gods, but I think it's the fact that it makes her one of them instead of one of us. I mean think about it. Throughout history… Pharaohs, kings, and the like… the first ones were considered to be divine rulers with the blood of the gods, direct descendants. Maybe this is why. Maybe they were actual gods and goddesses."

"Mo… Whatever. You fairies can be such freaks."

The dark-haired fae rolled her eyes. "No more freakish than a kitsune that doesn't try to seduce men every chance she gets."

The raven-haired fox growled. "_**THAT**_ is just rumors, myths, and conjecture. If those things were true, then I suppose your kind kidnap and eat human children." She smirked mischievously.

"Fine… I'll stop." The fairy conceded.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

Caramel colored eyes went wide at the sight of the little blue flames emanating from her fingertips. "Whoa…" She breathed out excitedly. "I finally did it!" She quickly covered her mouth with her other hand. Her first successful magic spell would not be revealed to anyone yet. She was excited by the event, but even though it was an accomplishment that she truly was happy about, it frightened her.

She quickly extinguished the flames and locked away the spell in her diary. It was a small book that she had purchased. Yes, most thought that during this age of technology that something like that was very outdated and old fashioned, but this way felt more personal, private, and permanent. She would figure out a way later on how to preserve it.

"Maria-sama, your grandfather and aunt will be home shortly to take you to dinner." Sebastian stood in the doorway to her room, behaving as if he'd not seen a thing.

She flinched a bit, hoping he saw nothing. She nodded. "Thank you, Sebastian. I'll go get ready." She said in a sweet, innocent tone, inwardly relieved that he didn't mention anything. She watched as he left and quickly shut her bedroom door, then slid to the floor quietly giggling. _"What else can I do?"_ She whispered excitedly. She hadn't felt this good in a very long time. She felt free and proud.

* * *

Professor Seiji Shingai, 100% pure human, and one of the many civilian instructors at the LME Academy. He is very intelligent and extremely creative. He is also one of the elite scientists that has been entrusted with the study of Ren's portal gun, and the mystery of why it was able to bring him to Earth after what was well know to be a suicide mission.

For two hours in the morning and three in the afternoon he and his team, in the R & D Department, would try and unravel this little puzzle in order to duplicate the results. To be able to teleport that distance, with no harm to the teleportee, would definitely up one's advantages over any enemy.

Unfortunately no matter how much they tried they couldn't duplicate it or even discover the circumstances of the miraculous event. Ren remembered nothing and it would seem that no matter the method, they couldn't extract what was now his lost memories of that time. They knew that there was something strange going on with his memories, due to the fact that everything that they viewed from them had been too perfect. They had been too clean and too organized. Usually, with memories that were extracted from a mission, those memories would be scattered, unorganized, and sometimes even a bit hazy as the individual would try and remember everything in detail for the programs and drugs used. Watching Ren's memories on the monitors, had been like watching a feature film. However, they knew that he wasn't trying to deceive them. He had actually, personally believed himself that it was all the undeniable truth. They encrypted the recordings and sent them to be examined, after an extensive medical examination, and his and Lt Yashiro's reassignments.

"So, is there anything that you can remember before you left for the mission?" He glanced up at the familiar face. "It's okay. It doesn't matter how small. Dreams, strange thoughts, something misplaced?"

He groaned a little and leaned back in his seat, raking his fingers through his hair. He shook his head. "Honestly? It's all so strangely clear and concise in my memory, that I really can't think of anything else before it. It's why I'm here right now." He answered with frustration. "This whole thing has me questioning my sanity and integrity." He confessed.

Seiji shook his head, and slid a cup of fresh coffee to him. "Stop stressing over it Ren. This isn't the only reason you're here and you know it." He finally sat behind his desk and pulled up the files. "These are the files you'll need for the investigation and the studies on the crypto-humans. I'm going to personally transfer them to you after our meeting." He informed him. "And don't worry… you and Lt Yashiro aren't the only ones being pulled for this event."

Ren's eyes went a little wide with surprise. He had fully believed that this new assignment was just to keep him occupied as they investigated him. "So… They're real?"

Seiji smirked with a cocked brow. "What did you think they were just bullshitting you?" He chuckled. "They're real… In fact there are quite a few secretly living in Tokyo as we speak. They haven't been exposed yet, because we don't know exactly what their angle is. The higher-ups don't want to cause unwanted strife unless it's absolutely necessary." He explained.

* * *

It wasn't that she wasn't interested in the person sitting in the next seat, in the in the waiting room of the lab, to get his blood drawn and get the required physical, that she hadn't been informed of beforehand, the fact was that she was nervous. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, she had medical records stating that she'd already had that done, but this was a recent requirement set forth by the school. They were doing this to _**all**_ of their students, new and old.

"Ahem…" He cleared his throat to get her attention. She wasn't exactly his complete type, but she was cute, even though she didn't have the required, overly-endowed bust-line. When he would look back on it later in life, he would laugh at how superficial and naive he was.

Kyoko was off in her own little world, thinking about how she had everything in her records, but didn't recall ever seeing a doctor, she didn't hear the young man next to her.

"Ahem… Excuse me…" He tried again, finally catching her attention. He'd never had to try so hard in his life to get a girl's attention.

"Oh! Um, sorry. I was distracted." Kyoko startled a bit.

Sho chuckled, and flashed a smile that he knew always worked. If he could charm this one, he would have the advantage of a little servant in this new place. It wasn't as though any of the girls he knew in Kyoto were smart enough to get into this school anyway. "My name is Sho, what's yours?" He asked casually.

She blushed a little. Yes, she'd studied a great deal on the internet, but she'd never really actually interacted with others much. She had Maria, Lory, Sebastian, and Ten. She'd briefly interacted with Ren-sama, but to be this close to a boy her age and have him smile at her like that, she honestly didn't know what to do with herself…so, she flustered, blushed, quickly stood up from her seat, bowed deeply, then quickly introduced herself. "Cadet Kyoko Takarada."

He chuckled lightly once again. She was cute and easy to manipulate. He could already see that she wouldn't be a challenge for him. He'd met girls like this before. She was probably some sheltered little heiress. His eyes went wide with the thoughts. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Admiral Takarada, would you?"

She blushed once again, and nodded not realizing her mistake. "He's my father." She smiled softly.

Sho cocked a brow._ Hmm. An Admiral's daughter, how nice. _"Wow, I promise not to tell anyone."

She furrowed her brown, a little confused. "Why not?"

"Well, you may have a hard time making friends that don't want to use you, if anyone finds out. You might even get picked on for it." He explained. "I wouldn't do that, of course. I can see that you aren't that kind of girl." He finished.

"Oh…thank you so much, Cadet…?" She didn't wish to use his first name so soon. She didn't even know the guy, but he did seem nice.

"Fuwa… Sho Fuwa." He finished.

"Thank you very much, Cadet Fuwa." She smiled brightly.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

* * *

Yes, Lory Takarada was well known to be a love-crazy Cupid to those around him. That is if they aren't directly related to him. Well, that's not quite right. He tends to get more deeply involved in the love-lives of those close to him, more hands-on. He didn't like the boy he saw walking with his adorable, perfect, sweet, loving, and angelic little girl that he believed was a gift of the gods. He could tell the moment he saw the boy, that he was trouble and he didn't want Kyoko anywhere near him; however, she needed to make her own decisions and if everything fell to dust, he would be waiting to help her pick up the pieces and possibly make the boy's life a living hell.

It irritated him that he couldn't step in immediately and nip this thing, with this boy, in the bud. There was something off about him, the way he looked at Kyoko when she wasn't looking made Lory's skin crawl. He knew instinctively that the boy was up to no good. He didn't need to meet him personally to know this. Alas, she needed to learn on her own how to navigate the lovescape; although, he wasn't going to exactly throw her to the wolves willingly.

He glanced at his silent companion and his granddaughter, and smirked. "Maria, is that Kyoko?"

Maria's eyes went wide with excitement and was running to Kyoko as if she'd been shot out of a cannon. "OBASAMAAAA!" She squealed with arms wide open, and ruffles and lace fluttering.

Lory saw the young man conspicuously scowl, then school his look. Yes, this young man needed to go at any cost, if that was his reaction to his two girls. Perhaps this would be the one time that he approved of Maria's special collection. He smirked at the thought.

* * *

"_Have you ever known love?" The unknown male asked. His face was in a blur, but the voice seemed somewhat familiar. _

"_You mean like in the stories?" She asked reflexively. _

"_No, sweet girl. Has no one ever told you or shown you any kindness? Has anyone ever treated you as something other than a slave?" The man asked with a voice filled with sadness and pity. _

"_Not that I can remember. I've never been worthy of that emotion." She told him, staring at the floor. _

Kyoko awakened from the nightmare, filled with sadness. How could she have such a dream? She'd only ever known love. To feel as though she'd never been loved was devastating. She touched her cheek and felt the fresh tears. She blinked and realized she was in her dorm room. Perhaps the dream came because she was homesick.

* * *

_It was strange. It felt so real to him, but the last memory he had, was of him going to bed. At the moment he was looking at the most exquisite creature he'd ever laid eyes on, dressed in a red kimono, gliding gracefully into a room filled with cameras. She took his breath away. _

_What was even more odd about the dream, was the fact that everything felt so real. His eyes were tired, his earlobes and back were sore, and his head and jaw ached. Every now and then he would have the thought that he had to focus in order not to expose himself around others. Why would he care? Why would he need to focus around this female? _

_The scenes would shift to something that resembled a fictional battlefield. Strange bodies littered the landscape. Dragons, werewolves, vampires, fairies, and a whole host of mythical beings. He would then find himself in a small cave next to a campfire, roasting the flesh of some rat or lizard he'd killed for food. _

_The scene shifted again. _

"_SHUT UP!" The darkly garbed male next to him growled. _

_Kuon glanced down at his competitor and narrowed his eyes at the potential threat. "I don't know what your fucking problem is Reino, but you better pull yourself together." He smirked wolfishly. "Or you just might __**accidentally**__ lose your head." He finished in a low tone that no one else could hear. __For some reason, it felt so satisfying to say that to him. He felt the strong desire to kill this particular male and he just couldn't figure out why._

He awakened with a cold shiver wracking his entire being. These dreams had be plaguing him ever since that mission. It was a disturbing fact that he refused to divulge to anyone. The last thing he wanted was to be discharged and forced to endure psychological evaluation for it. They were only dreams after all.

* * *

"_Take them out, humans are nothing more than food." He hissed, staring at the three men that had attempted an attack on their queen. _

"_By your command, Milord." The pale, dark-haired young man smiled revealing his elongated, sharpened canine teeth. _

He'd awakened from his temporary trance and stared at his companion. Every vision and dream he'd ever experienced had been an eventuality. He questioned himself as to when he would meet this exquisite creature that he would call his queen. He looked forward to the time when he would no longer need to disguise his true nature, when he could walk freely in his true form.

"Everything okay?" His companion asked with concern.

"Yeah… I haven't had a vision that vivid in a very long time and it's somewhat bothersome." He answered honestly.

"Past, present, or future?" The blond asked.

"Seems like future… At least that's what it feels like." He answered honestly.

"Where do we need to be?" He asked as he pulled out his cellphone.

Reino sighed out. It was time to go somewhere crowded and polluted with too much negative energy. "Tokyo, Japan…"

* * *

As much as her parents had prepared the world and people around their child, they could only do so much. Even celestial beings are far from perfect. They are not omnipotent and thus, there would be one person that would discover her secrets first.

Doctor Hiroaki Ogata stood before his microscope, diligently studying and documenting the unusual blood sample he had found amongst the rest. The DNA had traits of every crypto-human that they had discovered, and some they hadn't yet. When introduced to human blood, it forced the human blood to change to accommodate it. He wondered what would happen to a human if they accidentally received this blood in an emergency situation. What changes would they be forced to endure?

Honestly, if he weren't terrified of the resulting consequences, he would have eagerly indulged in a tiny experiment to see exactly what would happen by using it on himself; however, considering that he was the lead doctor screening these students, something like that would be obvious and possibly disastrous on his part. Thus far, out of the 3,000 students and 330 faculty members, the various support staff and a few others, there had only been about 200 of them that were crypto-human. The one that he was studying at the moment, Kyoko Takarada, seemed to be the most dangerous one of all, medically speaking. He was shocked that it would be her; although, he did compare the DNA on file and discovered that she was quite possibly adopted, but from whom? From where?

Hiroaki would think on his own questions later. At the moment, he needed to gather more information on this specimen, compile the reports, and send them to the higher-ups for consideration.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

* * *

It had taken weeks to sort through all of the data and important information before sending it to the correct investigators. Dr. Ogata was still testing that particular specimen and had even caught a glimpse of her on several occasions at the school. It seemed as though she kept pretty much to herself save for a very arrogant boy that obviously mistreated her. Well, he couldn't exactly say that she was mistreated per say, it was more like she allowed him to use her when she was around. There was also the not so small fact that he suspected this boy to be another crypto-human, specifically a vampire.

It was somewhat of a symbiotic relationship as far as he could tell. No, the boy wasn't feeding off of her, she did his school work and he dropped little scraps of attention. The boy was very charismatic and had a flair for chasing other interested males away from her, all the while as he flirted his way through his classes when she wasn't around. That particular fact wasn't what really bothered him the most, the fact that bothered him the most was the boy had a handle on a significant portion of the female staff.

Truly, Hiroaki wasn't certain if the boy was aware of his own nature. It seemed as though he was thoroughly enjoying the perks though. He was still dining in the cafeteria and eating human food. There hadn't been any reports of any attacks or students suddenly falling ill, so he decided to let those that had the responsibility handle these unusual humanoids. If they were keeping to themselves and contributing productively, there was no need to separate them from the others yet.

* * *

Honestly? She liked Sho, but she didn't know why. It seemed as though when she wasn't near him, she didn't have a single thought of him. It was strange. It was like she was under some kind of odd spell when she was near him. So, when her first break from school came up and she was able to go out into town with Mimori, they both never spoke of him, enjoyed their time away from school and did what teen-aged girls tend to do, and there were many areas of Tokyo that were just perfect for that. Not to mention the fact that she didn't feel like someone was watching her, every waking moment of her day.

"Ahh, this feels good… ya know? Just to get out and away from studying." Mimori sighed out as she sipped her green-tea milkshake.

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "I still have hand-to-hand and orchestra rehearsal during break." Kyoko groaned a little.

"Seriously? They aren't even going to let you take a break from that?" Mimori asked a little shocked.

Kyoko shook her head and took another strawberry from her sundae. "We have a competition in July and as for orchestra, I made second-seat violinist." She sat back in her seat.

The server placed two plates of fruit tart in front of the cute girls. "The two gentlemen send their regards." She pointed to the pair sitting a short distance from them. One male had long blond hair and brown eyes and the other silver hair and violet eyes, both were somewhat very good-looking.

"Thank you." Kyoko murmured with a blush and Mimori giggled.

"I don't have the time for something like that, do you?" Mimori leaned in, whispering to her friend.

Kyoko smiled and shook her head as they both glanced in the direction of the young men. "I really don't either… Speaking of, how did you do on the Advancement Exams?" Kyoko asked with a lifted brow. The girls had met in one of Kyoko's advanced classes that didn't contain Sho and became study partners, then friends. Neither knew that they both knew the young Vamp.

Mimori raised a brow. "I think I did decently, but seeing that the openings this term are limited…" She took a sip of her drink. "I'm not sure I scored high enough to make the cut." She pouted a little. "Oh well, I'll make it for sure next time around, if I didn't do it this time." She waved it off.

"Hello ladies…" Reino smiled mischievously at the pair as he and Miroku stood next to their table. "We were wondering if we could have a bit of your precious time."

Kyoko glanced at Mimori and Mimori nodded. "Sure."

Reino sat next to Kyoko and Miroku next to Mimori. "My name is Reino and this is Miroku. We couldn't help but notice how you lovely ladies were sitting here unescorted today."

Mimori rolled her eyes. She was well aware of the many pick-up lines young men liked to use. She had a body and unfortunately for most, she also had brains.

By the end of the day, when the pair was on their way back to their dorm, they had exchanged contact information with the interesting boys and were talking amongst themselves about their day.

"You've lived a very sheltered life, Kyoko." Mimori teased.

Kyoko groaned a little. "You really don't need to point that out. I already know."

Mimori giggled. "Well, you have to admit, they were cute, but… we have goals and it didn't seem that they did. Well… at least not goals they were willing to share with us at this point… I got Miroku's info, maybe we can all get together next weekend." She shrugged her shoulders.

Kyoko sighed out. "I don't know… Reino seemed a little strange. Ya know?"

"All guys are strange. That's why we take opportunities like this to get to know them." Mimori poked her. "Won't know unless you try."

Kyoko nodded. "I suppose you're right."

_**~xoxo~**_

"So… Was she everything you expected?" Miroku asked as they walked to their temporary abode.

Reino let out a soft sigh. "Everything and more. Could you feel it? When we were near? She's affecting the other without knowing it. The raw power she's putting off is amazing…"

Miroku raised a brow. "But?"

"But… there's a vamp around that's taking advantage of both without their knowledge." Reino scowled. "Disgusting creatures."

Miroku smirked. "Well then, I suppose we will need to separate our little angels from that creature before he's able to do any damage."

Reino smiled and gave a sharp nod. "Hopefully we've reached them in time." He glanced at the photo he'd made his opening screen on his phone.

"Well, we can't exactly expose ourselves to anyone at the school. My intel tells me that they're starting to study us and they might be looking to identify our kind." Miroku informed him.

Reino shook his head. "It's already too late for that. We just need to make sure that she's safe before everything starts. They may try to use her to their advantage in things to come." Reino pondered out loud.

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Were you able to pick anything up about her acquaintances… other than the little one she was with today?"

Reino nodded. "Of course the others are drawn to her. She has a few humans that have hidden ancestry, but she isn't aware just yet. Neither are they."

Miroku sighed in relief. "Good… We still have a little time. I think we should keep an eye on her… to be safe." He pondered.

"Agreed. Once she truly awakens… everything will go quickly." Reino told him in a serious tone. "And I think that time will come very soon."

* * *

Kuon Hizuri… a.k.a. Ren Tsuruga stared blankly at the file in front of him. How was something like this even possible? He's known Lory Takarada for years and knew for a fact that the man was as straight as they come. There was no way his daughter Kyoko could possibly been one of the crypto-humans that he was tasked to keep track of and study. From what Ogata's information had told him… she was one of the most dangerous. Dangerous as in the facts that she could very well mold a human, with human DNA, to nearly anything that was hidden in their ancestry. Well… they would need to come into contact with her blood via transfusion, but still… the theory was that she could mutate humans into crypto-humans and that was a very bad thing. With her blood, and quite possibly there were others out there like her, she could easily infect the general populous and make humans the minority on Earth if she so chose to do so.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Just to let everyone know, these characters will be a bit different from their descendants. This is the story before everything happened to our original Kyoko and Sho from "Special Princess". They are several thousands of years in the past and at the beginning of that story. ;)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 13**_

* * *

She awakened in a panic, breathing heavily, and knowing deep within that there was more to these nightmares than what others thought. She sat up and pulled herself from her bed, then quickly locked the door to her dorm room. There was no way she wished for anyone to see what an abnormality that she'd become.

She sighed out in relief and allowed her body to completely relax. The discomfort from her ears and eyes faded, her head stopped throbbing, and her back and spine no long felt as though someone had hit her repeatedly with a whip. She looked at her changed, nude visage in the mirror and fought back a sharp sob. What would her family think? They were normal as far as she knew. What would her friends think of her keeping this type of secret? Would they think that she was some kind of mythical demon or monster? As far as she knew, things like this… like she was, didn't exist in anything but children's story books.

_Hide it… Hide it… Hide it…_ She concentrated her full focus on her downy feathered wings, her glowing cat-like golden eyes, and her elongated, pointed ears. Everything returned to a normal human appearance, and she sighed in relief. It was taking less time and effort to hide her nature from the world. _Another reason not to get close to anyone._ She thought defeatedly. It was a sad thought. She didn't have anyone that she could share something like this with. If she said anything, they would think she was crazy and probably lock her up or if she were to show anyone, she would most likely be captured and dissected in the name of science.

She glanced around her room and decided to get ready for class, only to notice that her clock was blinking the standard default 1200 time. Her heart clenched and fell to her stomach, she was late! She still needed to get ready and she needed to stop by and give Shotaro his finished homework! There was no way she would make anything in time. In fact, she would be missing her first and half of her second class.

* * *

She hated going through this particular hall for her second class when it was full with students, she hated it even more now that it was empty. The tap, tap, tap of her perfectly polished dress shoes echoed through the corridor and caught the attention of the Lieutenant and caused his gaze to focus solely on her. He was a student teacher and he'd made it abundantly clear to her when classes started a couple of months ago, that she would not receive any special treatment from him regardless of her being the daughter of Lory Takarada. It honestly didn't help that he'd pointed that out to others around her either. She wondered often what bug crawled up his ass to make him such a jerk to her, but at this moment said bug was going to influence him to make her even later for class by her need to do at least 100 push-ups as punishment for being late in the first place. Today was just not her day.

"Yes, Lieutenant Tsuruga, Sir…" She obediently answered as she dropped to her hands and toes in ready position. Down and up. "One, Sir…" Down and up again. "Two, Sir…" and so it went until she was shaking, out of breath, yet still holding on like a tick to a dog with her determination to piss him off, by proving that she wasn't a spoiled little princess like he thought.

When all was said and done, she felt like she wanted to just collapse. Down and up… "One hundred…SIR!" She gritted out between her teeth as she held her position with sweat rolling off of her and practically saturating her uniform. "May I be dismissed, SIR?"

He really didn't know why he enjoyed picking on this one. Was it to make up for all of the teasing that Lory had subjected him to over the years? Was it the fact that this girl had an unnatural fascination with that boy, that he now knew to be a vampire? Or was it just something about her that made him feel uncomfortable? Made him feel like Kuon Hizuri again. He nodded. "You are dismissed, Cadet… and remember to manage your time more wisely." He scolded as the bell rang to dismiss second period classes and announce the departure for third period.

She wanted to hit him, throw her and Sho's books at him, do something violent to him. Not only had he punished her like this, causing her uniform to be ruined for the day, he had also made her miss her second period class entirely. She wanted to scream. She bit back any angered retorts, and grasped desperately at an inner calm that was nonexistent. _Focus… Focus… _She nodded. "I will keep that in mind, Sir. Thank you for your instruction." She told him calmly.

Kuon Hizuri stood frozen before the small woman after he'd scolded her, talking about time management. He was certain she didn't notice how her eyes had glowed like twin suns with slitted, cat-like pupils. Her ears had slightly pointed and he could swear that he'd seen a pair of large white angelic wings had adorned her back. He'd received several files on the students and staff that were considered non-human, but he still never dreamed Kyoko Takarada to be one of them. He'd not received anything of note on her, save for that redacted file. As soon as he noticed her calm herself, he watched as everything instantaneously disappeared. If one were to think about it, one would think that he'd had a hallucination or something to that effect.

He let out a breath of relief as he watched her walk away. The psychic pressure she had put on him in those moments had finally been lifted. It had felt like hundreds of tiny hands had firmly held him hostage. Terrifying, yet familiar. There was something familiar about that aura around her. Something familiar about that type of pressure, but he just couldn't place it. As soon as he recovered, he quickly followed. This one was dangerous, especially with the mood she was in. She needed to be isolated for the safety of others.

* * *

She awakened in a stark white room, containing nothing but a pillow and dressed in a paper gown. Her head was throbbing, her back ached and when she tried to speak… nothing came out. She screamed, but there was only silence. She looked around the room in a panic, wondering where she was and why she was there. Then came the memory of how she'd been used and the harsh words from Sho echoed in her mind. _Unworthy, plain, boring, clingy, only a servant and a groupie_. She collapsed to her knees and began sobbing piteously, covering her face and burying her sorrow in her own arms.

"In her defense…" Ren started as Yuki shot him a look. "That kid and the counselor deserved what they got and more. They should consider themselves lucky that I stopped her before they suffered from cranial hemorrhage."

Yuki sighed out. "I understand, but that does not justify her trying to kill them." Yuki scolded.

Ren shook his head. "I don't think she realized that she was doing that. I don't think she knows what she is or what she's capable of." His hand touched the glass to her cell. "I can't help but blame myself for all of this. I kind of…" He trailed off, thinking of everything that had happened that morning.

"What exactly did you do?" Yuki asked irritably.

Ren sighed out. "Her room is in the dorm that had power issues last night. She was late to class and I saw her in the hall…" He sighed out again and raked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't know…and I was a little strict on her."

Yuki shook his head. "I seriously doubt that would be enough of a reason for her to completely snap like that and nearly kill Cadet Fuwa and LtCdr Shoko."

Ren grimaced. "I only got there at the end, but it would seem as though he was using her to get by in school and fraternizing with the Lieutenant Commander in her office at the time of the event."

Yuki nodded. "That would explain their state of undress when they were found after you rendered her unconscious. I'll be sure to mention in the report."

"Her voice… That's not permanent, is it?" Ren asked with concern._ "Careful of her eyes."_ Something whispered in the back of his mind.

"No, that's just for safety. At least until we know for certain that she won't be using it on anyone else like that." Yuki explained as they watched the female cry.

"And the pair that caused this? The state she's in?" Ren asked. _"__They'll never let her go…"_ The voice told him.

Yuki sighed. "They are both Crypto-humans… They've both already been sent to another facility for study and recovery. They won't be returning to the academy."

"And… Her?" Ren asked hesitantly. He wasn't certain he wanted the answer.

Yuki shook his head sadly. "She won't be leaving here, Ren. She's too dangerous and needs to be studied." He took one last look at her through the glass. _"This is all your doing, Kuon. This gift is no longer yours."_ The voice told him in a sad tone.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: LOL, Just before everybody goes ape-sh*t, off the deep-end: this is NOT (I repeat, NOT) a Kyoko x Reino pairing story. "Enhance your calm John Spartan" and enjoy the twisted ride. ;)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 14**_

* * *

How long had she been there? She honestly wasn't sure. They kept her in restraints and sedated her. They had given her drugs to paralyze her vocal chords, locked a strange blindfold on her to prevent her vision, and kept her in a large room with strange medical equipment that she could only hear. She never heard their voices at the beginning, they refused to speak around her, she could only hear their breathing through respirators. As if she were some kind of dangerous contagion. She wondered if they wore hazmat suits too.

In the days, perhaps weeks that she was in that lab, her hearing became more sensitive and she began having visions. In her mind she could see those scientists, she could see their equipment, and she could hear their thoughts. They had now code-named her _**"The Demon Queen"**_. They had mentioned how her beautiful white feathers had completely shed from her leathery wings, how she now had ebon-horned protrusions from her head like a crown, how her tail was whip-like and razor sharp at the end, and how her nails were black and hardened like little chips of obsidian.

It was in these moments of complete and utter hopelessness that she realized exactly how uniquely alone she actually was. That there were no known others like her. Her self-loathing washed over her like a muddy swamp. It was made abundantly clear she would most likely be here for the rest of her life, in this state of being. She would never again see her father or Maria, she would never again see her friends.

* * *

The guilt was overwhelming. After her first day in confinement, he and Yukihito were restricted from seeing her. That was almost two months ago. Not a word was breathed about her and he wasn't allowed to mention anything to Lory, a man that was like a father to him.

His office, that fallacy of a school, the company of people he thought to be friends, and even his own apartment had become like a stifling prison. Everything he did reminded him of how he'd turned her in to never be seen or heard from again. Nightmares of her being drugged, bound, and blindfolded with tubes and wires leading into her body from various monitoring equipment. Her silent screams haunted his dreams, and visions of people turning to stone with bleeding ears, painted a portrait behind his closed eyes. Forgotten memories of her mother began ebbing back, confusing him. Only several cups of strong coffee would keep him awake enough to avoid those horrifying images.

"I don't know why **you** are having these visions, Human Trash." He felt a male hand on his shoulder and he fought to look up at the silver-haired male that seemed to be draining his very life-force from him, with the familiar feel of thousands of hands holding him in place. "She only calls out to her subjects, Our Queen." Reino sat in the seat across from him, smiled ferally, and examined his nails. "Now… You can tell me where to find her or… I can remove your soul from your body here and now. It makes no difference to me. We'll find her with or without your help, but if you want any survival for your kind at all, you will cooperate. I'll be certain to put in a good word for you when all is said and done." He glanced up at the frozen male.

"I… I never meant for this to happen…" Kuon murmured.

Reino shook his head. "Tut, tut… I didn't ask for your half-assed excuses, Lieutenant. I don't care for them and don't need them. I don't care that you've realized that _they_ created her specifically for you and **you** tossed her to the wolves… I don't care if you _suddenly_ care about what happens to her… I don't care that you've **finally** remembered what you should have… I don't care about anything that is going on in that tiny ape-brain of yours. None of that concerns me… all I care about is where my queen is and how you are going to help me get there with minimal casualties. Otherwise… I will personally disintegrate that academy and everyone in it to get to her and bring her to my side." He told him in a calm, casual tone, with a smile, almost as if he were commenting on how nice the weather was today.

"H-How do you…?" He sputtered quietly, glancing around them to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation.

Reino lifted a brow. "How do I know?" He smirked. "It's one of the many talents that the most elite of our kind have. She is capable of more, I'm sure… but that is neither her nor there. What is important is that you give me what I want or I will leave you as a useless bag of flesh only fit to feed off of, and _**take**_ what I want from you. Your choice Mr. Hizuri."

Ren's eyes went wide at the revelation. If this man knew that without him telling, then he was pretty much convinced that this dangerous character wasn't spewing idle threats. He supposed it was speak now or throw caution to the wind and possibly die for it, without knowing the answers to the questions that were now plaguing him. He nodded sharply. "What do I need to do? And just so you know… I'm not doing this for self-preservation or for any of those people in that place." He told him meaning the lab.

* * *

"NO! We can't do something like that. We don't know what effect it will have on her or her latent abilities." Hiroaki argued with his colleagues.

Professor Anna sighed irritably. "Hiro… If her tail and wings aren't removed, she will remain a danger to the staff. She's already put two of her guards in the hospital with that tail and the wings are cumbersome during experimentation. As it stands, she's fortunate that we haven't removed her eyes and vocal chords yet. If I lose one more staff member to being turned to stone or having their hearing damaged, I will not hesitate to do so." He chided.

_This needs to stop… She may not be human, but she still has just as much right to exist as we do_. He groused inwardly. He knew that he wasn't the only one that felt this way. Haruki Asami agreed with him, when they spoke privately. She also brought up the very important point that the girl was Lory Takarada's adoptive daughter. The man had to be seriously worried about her by now.

He wanted to do something for her, somehow. He just didn't know what he alone could do, but it needed to be done before the other researchers carried out their plans to completely incapacitate her, permanently. He knew deep in his heart that doing what they were planning would most likely completely ruin her, mentally and physically. If what they'd done hadn't already. He could tell as of the moment she was confused about what was happening to her with her body and in the lab. There was no way she was aware of her own nature. Add that to being a hormonal teen-aged girl, and he could probably predict that she was already scarred for life by what was going on around her.

"Alright, meeting's adjourned. The surgeries will be scheduled for next Tuesday morning to bring her under control." Professor Anna declared and Dr. Ogata's eyes went wide.

"What did we decide on?" Ogata whispered to Asami.

She shook her head. "Can we discuss this somewhere else?" She asked quietly. She did not agree with this one bit.

Hiroaki gave her a sharp, inconspicuous nod.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

* * *

Lory Takarada didn't understand the subterfuge that the individuals standing before him went through to meet with him… initially. He and Hiroaki Ogata's family had been friends for years, Kuon Hizuri was his godson, but there were others before him that he had no relation to whatsoever. He wasn't aware of the two shadows or the female that he was completely unaware of. However, Maria felt their presence as they entered, and so did his faithful bodyguard and servant, Sebastian.

Hiroaki fidgeted nervously in his seat. They only had a few more days before Kyoko's life would be changed for the worst. He hated that he was involved in it, yet glad that he was. He was glad due to the fact that perhaps these people would listen to him and help him take her out of that situation with minimal casualties.

"Is everyone here that wanted to have this meeting?" Lory asked as he shut the doors to his office and flipped a switch. He had locked them all in and activated a field that would prevent anyone from listening in on their little meeting. Hiroaki and Ren both had requested it. Neither knew who they could trust and Lory could feel it in their mannerisms and hear it in their voices.

Ren glanced behind them and nodded. "You can show yourself now." He announced.

Lory, Hiroaki, and Haruki watched in shock as two shadows emerged from the corner of the room, took human form, and a female with two fox tails and black ears to match suddenly materialized.

"I apologize for the shock Admiral, but we are here to plan and execute the rescue of our future queen." The strange male with silver hair and violet eyes announced. "My name is Reino, this is Miroku, and…" He waved his hand towards the female. "this is Kanae. There will be others involved, but they were unable to attend. They are making preparations at several safe-havens for her concealment." He finished.

He looked at Ren and Hiro. Ren seemed as though he was acquainted with these people. Hiro was a bit more nervous to be around them. "Ren? What's going on here?" He asked with concern.

Ren clenched his jaw and Lory could see the guilt and sadness in his eyes.

"Sir, I believe I can brief you on the situation, as it stands." Hiroaki Ogata spoke up. Lory nodded and then listened intently to every word the young doctor had to say, occasionally with Ren adding what he knew or was aware of.

The plan was simple enough. They just had to find a way to get Kanae and Reino close enough to get her. Reino would incapacitate the humans and he and Kanae would leave with Kyoko through a portal that she would create, that would lead to the safe-house. They would then assess how much damage had been done to her, heal her, then train her to control her power. They would contact Lory at their convenience, whenever that would be. He didn't like that he and Ren wouldn't be involved in the intricate details of this mission, but considering the circumstances it was for the best to involve as few as possible. The fewer humans that knew of her or where she was, the better for her and others like her.

Reino glanced at the empty chair next to Ren and smirked. "What say you, little witch?"

The room gasped when they saw the upholstery flicker and shift. There sat Maria with a two-tailed Siamese cat in her lap, as she calmly stroked him. The room was further shocked when said cat alit from her lap and shifted to his human form standing next to her. Maria and Sebastian had been there for the entire time and the only one that truly noticed had been Reino.

"M-Maria? S-Sebastian?" Lory stammered with furrowed brow. This changed so many things. Having someone like this in his very own family by blood. What would they do to her? They took Kyoko to study, would they take Maria too?

"There's no need to worry, Takarada-san. She's protected by fairy and elf magics. They've been guarding her since her awakening." Kanae assured him.

"I can attest to that, Sir. My sister Itsumi was assigned to protect her along with a dark fairy named Chiorin." Miroku revealed.

Lory was practically hyperventilating from all of this new information. He honestly didn't know what to say. He took a few deep, calming breaths. "And what are you and your sister?"

"We are dark elves. We are usually proficient in dark magic and used as assassins and protectors." Miroku informed him calmly.

Lory glanced at Reino. "And you?"

Reino smirked and shook his head. "Not even remotely close. You don't need to know young one, and you wouldn't understand. All you need to know is that I am here to bring her to where she belongs." Reino answered cryptically.

Ren's brow furrowed. Who the hell did this arrogant asshole think he actually was? "Take her to where she belongs? Just exactly where is that?" He groused.

The crypto-humans in the room clammed-up. Only one voiced their thoughts. "As long as she's safe from those that wish to hurt her, I don't care where they take Oba-sama or how long they keep her there, Ren-sama. Right now, humans want to cut her up and hurt her. They're afraid of her… They're afraid of people like us. We are a threat to their peace of mind and they want to get rid of us. If you can think of a better way, then please let us know." Maria finished with her plea.

"I agree…" Lory finally announced. "We need to do this either before they take her for surgery on that day, or sooner." He gave Kanae and Reino a pointed look.

"I can take you there if you think you can get in without being seen tonight. My shift starts in three hours. If you think we can do it, I can get you there." Hiroaki spoke up.

"If he can't, I certainly can. Professor Anna may have some doubts about you after that meeting, Hiro. He may prevent you from entering the lab tonight." Haruki interrupted.

Reino reached across and took the woman's hand. He looked up at her and smiled. "I'll trust you. You will be the one to get us there tonight. Just remember to be calm and behave as if we don't exist."

She nodded confidently, hiding her nervousness. There was no way that Hiro would have been able to get in and out without implicating himself and the others. He was just too jittery and a very bad liar. He was the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve.

Hiroaki Ogata nodded. "You're right. You do that, and I'll make sure that all of the data and samples from her are destroyed. They don't need to know any more than they already do about her."

Reino glanced at Miroku. _We must destroy that lab after we retrieve her. I want to make them think that she and everyone involved in __this__ are dead. __I don't want them coming after her. _

_Miroku nodded inconspicuously. I agree. The only way she'll be safe, is if everyone believes she's dead._

"Perfect… I believe our two new friends need to prepare themselves." Reino told them before preparing to leave. "We'll meet at the designated area and time." He glanced at Ren. "You will be with Dr. Ogata as a distraction and lookout." _and a witness_. He thought to himself. They needed someone to witness the destruction to make it convincing.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

* * *

It didn't take long for him to figure everything out. It had only taken him a couple of days to recover from Kyoko's attack. He'd overheard the nurses talking about how Shoko-san was still in a coma and it had been at least two weeks since everything happened. He watched as they took tissue samples from him, and how the areas would quickly heal within minutes. Forget drawing blood from him, it had coagulated in his veins long ago.

The steady sounds of beating hearts around him and the sweet smell of blood made his mouth hurt with need. The first time he'd noticed, he'd actually pierced his tongue and lower lip with his long, sharp canine teeth. The hunger was unbearable, like an excruciating pain that took hold of him, twisting his insides. It was truly driving him insane. The food they had initially offered had no appeal at all. It smelled and tasted like garbage, literally. Then, they finally gave him something worthy a few days after being locked in that stupid cell.

He felt like he could die at that very moment and be completely fine with it that day. He didn't even realize what they gave him to drink that day, until two days later. Blood… Human blood. He wasn't sure how he knew of its origins, but he could tell by taste the different types, what had been consumed by the donor, and whether or not they were healthy. He'd pondered quietly for many days the implications, and found that it neither surprised him, nor upset him.

There are many advantages to his situation as he soon discovered. Mainly, physical pain was just not in his repertoire when it came to their little examinations and experimentations. He healed quickly, and no scarring was left on his now very pale body. He discovered that it would only take a little feeding for him to rid him of his pallor, and give him a boost of strength and energy that would put any normal human to shame. His charisma in attracting the opposite sex was off the charts, and there were quite a few males that he found were pretty malleable too. Not that he was into swinging the opposite direction, but if it aided him in gaining his freedom he was willing to at least pretend.

Being such a creature had been a bit of a shock to him initially, but he accepted it due to all of the legends and dogma surrounding his condition. Really, who would reject a condition that could potentially grant immortality if one is cautious? So, he would use the time he had with these mad scientists, and discover more about himself. Sunlight was not fatal. Religious symbols weren't repellent. Garlic smelled just as pungent as it always had and tasted like garbage, just as all of the other human food did to him. Finally, silver was shiny and harmless to him, and holy water was still just wet. However, he suspected that a stake through the heart would kill him just like it would anyone else. No need to test that particular theory.

All he had left to do, was figure out a way to use everything he'd learned about himself and those around him, to leave this sterile hell and find Kyoko. If he found her, he could sleep without the nightmares that caused him to forego sleep. Blinded, muted, feathers torn from angelic wings, and restrained like a dangerous mental patient. He felt a strange connection to the young woman that he formerly believed to be just another groupie. Something deep within him was calling out to be near her, to serve her, to do anything that she asked of him, but first he needed to find her. It was imperative to his survival. This, he instinctively knew.

_**~xoxo~**_

Pain…like being coated in a strong acid all over her body. Fire in her veins. It felt like her skin was being torn off and her bones broken. Then came the itching. Every little square millimeter of her body itched. That was the first time it had ever happened to her. It lessened with each subsequent change, which was every 29 days. Every full moon. Of course there were various phases of the change that she went through, but that first was a real bastard to her, and they refused to give her anything for the pain. Not that it would have done any good or not that she wouldn't have ripped the hand off from the person that administered it to her.

Honestly, she would have not known from that first time what she was if they hadn't informed her. Although, she did find it strange to go from being a rigid Vegan to a ravenous Carnivore, and it didn't bother her one bit. In fact, the more rare the meat, the better.

Over the weeks that she was held, and the changes that she had gone through, she began to become aware of everything in both states of being. Although she felt wild and feral as a wolf, she started to gain a semblance of control during that time. Whereas in the beginning she just wanted to bite and tear at everything and everyone around her.

Her senses had become more acute and more attuned to the predator that she was. She could hear the lab rats in their enclosures scurrying about, she could smell the scent of the woman the orderly had screwed the night before on him, and she could taste the difference in the way that her meal had been slaughtered.

She needed to escape. There was something important she needed to do. Someone she needed to guard. The only word that came to her basic, animalistic instinctive mind had been _"Master"_. There was one that her soul seemed to be linked to and being called to. It made her restless and anxious. She had never had this feeling before, the feeling of total and complete loss of control over her own actions and destiny. Aki Shoko was a werewolf and her master/mistress was in need of her.

* * *

"Maria-sama, your grandfather would not be pleased if he discovered you were here." The dark, young man, garbed in Middle Eastern clothing reminded the seven year-old in his arms as they stood outside of the research facility, cloaked and observing the events taking place.

She glanced up at him with a solemn smile, and lightly shook her head. "Don't worry Sebastian. We're safe with the spells. I want to make sure that Oba-sama is safe before we leave." She told him. She wanted to make sure that Kyoko was completely safe before she, Sebastian, Ten, and Grandfather went into hiding. They would have minimal contact with Ren-sama later, but for now they needed to go into hiding to protect themselves from the humans that would cause them harm and the events that had come to her in a vision.

Honestly, Lory didn't put much into what Maria had warned him of, but he did wish to keep her safe from the experiences that Kyoko had been through. So, he'd made arrangements for the family to disappear until they knew for certain that Kyoko was okay and no longer pursued by the scientific and military communities. Maria hadn't told him of Reino's side plan. The fewer humans that knew she was alive, the better. At least until she was able to control herself and her power.

She nodded and smiled once people started running out of the building screaming and tearing at themselves as if they had something chasing after them. "It's finished. Time to go, Sebastian." She ordered once the smoke started pouring out and the building began to crumble.

No one ever noticed as the little witch and her familiar left. It was time to meet with her new friends and learn enough to help in the future.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

* * *

The more he thought about it, Haruki Asami was always right when it came to important situations. She just had an instinct for it. As she had said, Professor Anna absolutely did not trust him and had banned him from the building where Kyoko was held. Moreover, they had moved the time and date for the procedures to that very evening. Hiroaki was freaking out over it and had to be physically removed, while Haruki kept her cool and calmly led their cloaked companions to the operating theater where everything was scheduled to take place that night.

He honestly had no idea what was to take place, but he would dutifully hold up his end of the plan with Lieutenant Tsuruga, just a little sooner than they'd anticipated. Which was why he was completely shocked when he and Ren heard the rumbling and felt the shaking of the ground as the building across campus began to crumble as if it had aged a thousand years in moments. He quickly finished destroying any information on the girl and releasing the virus into the system, through Professor Anna's computer, when everything started. They ran out, as everyone else in their section did, when their heard the screams.

"What's going on?!" Ren shouted over the din.

Hiroaki pointed in the direction of the disturbance as the researchers began rolling on the ground and tearing at their clothing. "Over there! Isn't that Professor Anna?" He pointed out the man screaming _'Get them off!'_.

Ren watched in horror as the building that held Kyoko and several others like her was destroyed in an instant. He dropped to his knees in shock. "There's no way…" He murmured. _There's no way they made it out safely._ For reasons he couldn't decipher, he felt like he'd been hollowed out.

Unknown to anyone present, others were being rescued from another facility in the exact manner and taken to several safe houses around the world.

* * *

"I assure you, she will be fine. She's still only recovering from the anesthetic." Haruki told the pair as the looked on in worry. "She may suffer from some nausea, and lethargy, but she'll be fine. What we need to worry about is the long-term effects of the drugs they used to mute her. They should wear off over time, but we'll need to watch for any adverse side-effects. I honestly don't have any experience with such medications, so we'll need to watch her carefully." She warned as they settled the unconscious girl into the bed, and she checked her vital signs.

Reino turned to Kanae. "You stay here with her while I check on the others." He commanded.

Kanae groaned inwardly. If this arrogant guy wasn't one of the Elders, she would have compressed him and sent him somewhere distant, via a portal, long ago. As it stood, he had been able to coordinate the rescue of several of their kind, and secretly negotiate the aid and support of more than a few of the world's governments. Yes, they were smaller countries that no one really paid attention to anymore, but help was help. Sanctuary was sanctuary.

* * *

Ever been sick to your stomach enough to want to throw up, needing to do it, but just couldn't? Not the kind of feeling where you dry heave, but the kind where it's just at the cusp, yet not quite there. Where you would give your soul to throw up just to make the feeling go away. Well, that is the effect that going through a Kitsune Portal has on vampires. One vampire in particular. He had gone through willingly. Any means of escape he could find, he would take it. It didn't matter that he'd helped the others that were unconscious or incapacitated to leave that hellish place.

He honestly didn't realize the strength he possessed until the moment that he had carried two females and one large male to safety. One female under each arm and the large male on his back. He wasn't sure what had happened to them, but he was certain that like him, they needed to be freed from that place.

Their escape had been unexpectedly easy and calm. Well, he wouldn't have thought so much if he'd been out in the fray of things. The older male Kitsune, named Takatsuki, that created a portal had also conjured a hellish illusion that only affected the humans and terrified them enough to send them screaming out of the building that contained all of the holding cells, and operating rooms. It was the first time in months that he didn't hear her screams or pleas for release at the back of his mind. Although, his new strength and peace of mind could have also come from the scientist that he'd fed off of moments after everything began. He'd never had such a satisfying meal in his life, such as the one his main persecutor had provided with his very own blood and life-force.

_**~xoxo~**_

Aki Shoko looked on in horror and disgust as she watched the young man grab the doctor that had been the lead in the torments visited upon her for the past few months, and get lost in his own blood lust. She watched as he fed ravenously upon the weak human, with his back to her. He looked up after finishing his meal and dropped the empty, dead husk, then turned in her direction. _Is that Sho?_ She thought of the young, now vigorous, vampire that had the lower half of his face and the front of his hospital shirt covered in the scientist's blood. He was a tad bit messy at the moment, but it had been his first human kill and he had been too preoccupied with true hunger, and the euphoria of sating it, to worry about his image.

"Get a move on, Wolfie or you'll get left behind. The vamp can take care of himself!" A strange, blonde, cat-like female prodded.

Aki quickly picked up a child that had been cowering in the corner and made her way to the large dark hole, that led to the gods only knew where. Actually, anywhere was better than where she had been, so she held the child tightly and took a leap into the unknown. Much to her relief, only moments later, the time it took for a breath, she would find herself in the courtyard of a large, protected compound with a myriad of facilities, and a large garden. The air felt different, nothing at all like Tokyo or Japan for that matter. The clean mountain air caressed her skin and calmed her. Instinctively she knew they would be safe here. Now all she needed to do, was to find her mysterious master.

* * *

"You won't be able to travel in this manner very often." The dark fairy informed the pair. "First and foremost, a fairy ring is required for this mode of travel. Then you need a guide to take you to the proper destination or you will be trapped. You may be a witch, but you still are very much human; however, your familiar won't be affected in the same way." She noted the beautiful, two-tailed Siamese the young witch carried in her arms.

Maria frowned a little. "He's not my familiar, he's my friend and protector." Maria corrected. "I would never make him my slave, Chiori-san."

"Ah…She really didn't mean it to be an insult, Maria-chan. It's just most witches that we encounter have a familiar at your age. Especially with your talent." Itsumi gently informed her, glancing at Chiorin.

"Be prepared… It's almost time." She pointed up at the full moon. They would enter the fairy ring in Tokyo when the full moon was high in the sky and exit through the one leading to New York. They would have to wait a full day in the fairy realm to go through the New York ring, but in reality it would be almost a full month in the human realm when they reached their final destination, as Maria would soon discover. She would quickly decide that this was not a mode of travel that she would willingly use very often, if at all. Well, at least it kept her and those that accompanied her safe from prying eyes and kept their destination a complete secret, with the added bonus of being able to see the wings of three of her companions in their full glory.


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Okay, I'm drunk, my cat is dictating what music I'm listening to and I am trapped in my home because of Covid-19. Don't blame me. LOL, I hope you are enjoying the story thus far.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 18**_

* * *

Lory and Ren both had been frantically worried about Maria and Sebastian. Ren remembered reading about fairies as a child and how they would kidnap human children, never to be seen again; although, that really wasn't the only thing they were worried about. Lory had firmly believed that Kyoko and her escorts, along with Haruki Asami had been killed in the collapse of the research facility.

Ren, had the added worry of the three small vials of Kyoko's blood that he had crushed in his left hand, in his pocket during the fateful event. Dr. Ogata was genuinely concerned about him after the discovery. He had fully briefed him on the situation, and the redacted information once they reached Ogata's home, the glass from the blood collection tubes had been removed from his palm and fingers, and the wounds were properly dressed. There was no stopping it, Ren had been exposed and Ogata was keeping a close watch on him.

_**~xoxo~**_

Of the missing individuals in the scheme of things, had been one Yukihito Yashiro. He, Hiroaki, and Ren had been listed as missing and would continue to remain so. Yuki however, was right where he needed to be, knocking out electronics, destroying cameras, and scrambling information beyond recognition.

"I'll be taking her to New York, Chiori." He politely informed as they moved to their next destination. "You'll be traveling with her grandfather to California."

Technically, Yukihito had not been initially assigned to Maria, but considering that he was supposed to be missing or dead, this was one of his few options, and he absolutely wanted to make sure that everyone had safely escaped that fiery hell. "Of course." She groused. "But you better not let anything happen to her." She scolded._ "I've grown somewhat __fond of__ her."_ She quietly commented.

Yukihito glanced at his new female charge and her unusual cat, chuckled, and gave Chiori a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll make it a point to stay by their sides until they can protect themselves, and long after." He promised. After that strange surge of energy that had passed throughout their community, he had been worried. Something like that only happened once before, that he could remember and that was on the previous December 25th. The day the Kyoko had been brought into existence; although, none of them realized it at the time.

* * *

Lory Takarada should have been devastated by the knowledge of his only daughter's _"death"_; however, something kept telling him deep inside that she was safe and well protected. It was the same for Kuon, Yukihito, Hiroaki, and the others. Instinctively, he knew in his heart that they had all survived the horrific event at the academy. The one he was truly worried about was Maria. Her two bodyguards had taken her and Sebastian with them and told him they would be traveling via other means to a safe house where Maria would learn to cultivate and control her gifts. That was two weeks ago. He wasn't sure what those other means were, but shouldn't he have at least heard something from her by now? It was driving him to distraction.

_**~xoxo~**_

She had awakened the day of her rescue, in a panic. Her unfamiliar surroundings only worried her until she discovered that she still had her wings, her tail was intact, the blinder was off, and the medication they'd used to silence her was wearing off. She slowly calmed when she realized that she was no longer in a sterile, Spartan lab. The room they had put her in was fit for a queen: muted, soft colors; billowing, diaphanous drapes; the new morning sun was just beginning to peek into the room through the large French doors leading to a balcony; her large bed was draped in silk and satin, with pillows that would make an angel envious; there was a walk-in closet, filled with clothing; she had a large bathroom attached to her room, with a bathtub she had to use steps to walk into; finally, there was a small sitting area that included a love seat, arm chairs, and an antique roll-top desk made of mahogany. She thought that her room at the mansion was big and well furnished, but this actually put it all to shame. Her father would have died of envy knowing that he hadn't thought of spoiling her this way himself.

"Ah… How are you feeling today, Kyoko?" Asami asked as she entered the room to check on her.

Kyoko startled. "Oh! Asami-san, you didn't need to go through the trouble." She told her referring to waking her and bringing in her meal.

Haruki giggled. "Don't worry. It's really not that much trouble. I'm only doing this to satisfy my own selfish concerns, Kyoko-chan. You've been through a lot and Hiro would be very upset with me if I didn't make sure you completely recovered from our thoughtless actions." She sat on the little armchair in Kyoko's sitting are. "So, how is your throat feeling today?"

"I'm doing better. I'm not sure of my vocal range though. I haven't really been able to test it." She confessed.

Haruki nodded in understanding. There really was no way to fully test Kyoko's vocal abilities without putting someone at risk and the girl had made it abundantly clear to everyone that she didn't want to bring harm to anyone just to see what she was capable of, early on. "Well, regardless… we need to find a way to make sure you have recovered." She held up her hand to stop Kyoko from protesting. "I promise that I will try and find a way to test you without bringing harm to others." She promised.

Kyoko sighed in frustration, she was a bit exhausted from everyone trying to get her to use her abilities to a destructive end, but she could understand the necessity of it. She never wanted anyone to suffer as she or the others had in those labs, again. "Fine, if you can find a way… I'll be willing to test my abilities, but until then I prefer not to put anyone at risk… even if they may be an enemy." She conceded.

"That state of mind and opinion is going to put you at risk of getting killed, my Queen." A familiar male voice scolded as he entered the room.

And so here came another lecture about her safety from one of her faithful generals, Reino. Honestly she wasn't comfortable with the way things were heading, but he had made it very clear to her that he and many others saw her as a beacon of hope for their kind. They had been suppressed for centuries, nay… eons. For thousands of years they had been persecuted and executed simply for the fact that they were a bit different than _"normal"_ humans, even though they had been around just as long, if not longer. Even without her, this was going to happen. At the moment she was simply a figurehead for the cause; however, she was not content in her position. She wanted to help in some way.

"What do you have planned for us today, Reino?" She asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer.

He gave her a sly smile, bowed elegantly, and glanced up at her. "Well, after you finish your breakfast, I would appreciate your presence in the basement. You need training. I want you to be able to protect yourself. You won't always have others around to assure your safety." He informed her, picking a cherry tomato from her plate before she sat to eat breakfast.

She smiled and nodded. "I suppose I can do that. It wouldn't make sense for your glorious leader to not be able to take care of herself." She tease sarcastically.

He nodded in agreement. "Right you are. Ryotaro Uesugi will be waiting for your training session."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

* * *

Had anyone told him a month ago that he would be laying on the floor of an empty room, in excruciating pain, with wings covered in black feathers, and screaming in agony, he would have never believed them. Hiro had warned him of the consequences of Kyoko's blood mingling with his own, but he honestly didn't believe a word of it… until now. There were moments that he wished that he'd never put those vials of blood in his pocket, but now those were fruitless thoughts. It was happening. What was happening, he wasn't really sure of, but he was absolutely certain that he was changing. His very DNA was transforming or he could say that the recessive genes were being activated and thrust to the front, changing him fundamentally… Kuon Hizuri was no longer a human as he was familiar with.

The very building blocks of his being changing wasn't what troubled him the most. It had to be the fact that Rick had come to visit him daily. Rick was dead. He knew that to be a fact. Rick had been killed by a hit and run car accident. Well, he wasn't sure how much of an accident at the time it had been considering that his cousin Cedric and his gang had been involved, but the fact remained that Rick was visiting him and actually talking to him as if he were still alive, in his waking moments.

The very first to know that he was truly Kuon Hizuri, and the creature he had become, had to be Hiroaki Ogata. The man had completely understood the reasoning behind Kuon's hidden identity. If he had the resources to do the same, he would have done so in a heartbeat. He had been overshadowed by his own father's achievements at a very young age and it had nearly smothered him. He had worked hard to overcome that particular hurdle. He couldn't imagine the psychological impact of what was happening to Kuon at the moment.

The second to know had been Kotetsu Uesugi. A venerable, talented, older gentleman who knew more about what he was becoming than anyone else in their little hideaway did. He had discovered that there were far more species of human than he ever imagined and Kotetsu was similar to Reino, a shade. Well, at least that's what he thought he was. He preferred to keep that little supposition to himself, lest he was wrong. Reino did imply to Lory that he was something else entirely.

"Regardless of the physical discomfort, Kuon… You need to start training immediately or you won't be able to control your abilities. You won't even know what they are, for that matter." Kotetsu scolded.

Kuon started to say something to the effect that it wouldn't be a problem, but Kotetsu was always used to the younger generation being adverse to his wishes. He startled the elder with, _"Yes, Sensei."_

Kotetsu nodded sharply, not really prepared for such a pliant charge. "Good, get changed and have something to eat. Then come see me in the training room after Hiro gives you a checkup." He commanded firmly.

Kuon sighed inwardly. He honestly didn't have an appetite to begin with, but now it was even worse. He had one, but he was craving something that he wasn't familiar with. Certainly it wasn't blood or anything weird like that, but everything just tasted so bland.

* * *

The little blue stone that Maria had given him before she left, was glowing an amber color. He honestly didn't believe it when she initially told him, but now here was the proof, she was an authentic witch. She had cast a spell on two large, uncut water sapphire gems. She had told him they would use them to communicate with each other, and doing it this way they would be outside of the normally traceable methods.

To activate it, she had told him that he only needed to gently rub the stone, but he'd been so elated that he'd quickly picked it up and kissed it. "MARIA! You're safe!" He cried out in relief.

"Ojii-chan… I've only been gone a day." She groused, forgetting the time discrepancy that traveling in the world of the fae had caused.

"Maria Takarada… I've not heard from you for a month! I was so worried about you." He scolded.

Maria's image displayed shock and astonishment. "I'm so sorry! We had to spend the day in Avalon." She informed him. "Chiori-san has been assigned to protect you. Things are a little more complicated than before." Maria murmured in irritation.

"Who's there for you and Sebastian?" He asked with concern.

She smiled, and a familiar face came into the picture. "Good evening Admiral." Yukihito Yashiro waved to him. "I assure you, Maria-chan is in good hands."

"Yukihito-kun! You're okay!" He exclaimed. "I thought… We all thought…" He stammered in happiness and relief. "You need to contact your family. I'm sure they're worried about you." He scolded.

Yuki chuckled. "Not to worry, Sir. I visited them while we were in Avalon. They are aware of the situation."

"Yuki-kun is a fairy prince, Grandpa! I got to meet the King and Queen." She gushed and Yuki blushed fiercely.

Well, he was learning something new every day it seemed. Now, if he could only safely contact Kuon. Kuu and Julie had heard of the calamity that had befallen the academy and were worried about their son. Lory had assured them that he was alright, at least he was last time he saw him. Lory wasn't aware of the fundamental changes that his godson was going through, the discoveries about himself that he was making, or the rigorous training he was enduring.

Ah, to be deprived of the usual sources of information that he normally used. He supposed it was a good thing though, at the moment he was busy forging new contacts and relations. Thus far, he was in contact with the fairies, the kitsune, and the dark elves. He was absolutely certain there were more, and communications with them would come in due time, but it was like starting all over again, like when he was a young man and just starting out.

"And when will I be able to see you again?" He asked, sulking a little.

Maria smiled softly. "Soon… I promise Ojii-chan." She paused and looked away at someone off to the side and nodded.

"We'll need your help soon, sir. You're a little too high-profile to keep you hidden. If you don't show yourself soon, they will send someone to look for you, and we can't have that right now." Yuki informed him.

Lory nodded in agreement. "I'll put out the word that I was taking a break to grieve the loss of Kyoko." He grimaced at the thought, and sighed. He glanced at Maria. "They don't need to know anything about you, princess. If they ask, you've been spending time on our island with Sebastian, recovering from your loss."

"Oh! That's a wonderful idea, Ojii-chan." She was significantly more cheery about it than he expected; which gave him hope. Actually, it alleviated his anxieties completely. Maria would not have been her usual peppy self had Kyoko and her Ren-sama actually died. Apparently her sources were more thorough than his. He really needed to work on that. He nodded inwardly at the thoughts.

They spoke for a few minutes more and finally ended their communications with expressions of love and wishes of safety. Lory held up the little blue stone and chuckled to himself._ I think I need to make something to keep this safely in._ Yes, he would make it himself. He didn't want anyone else to touch it and accidentally activate or break it. He kissed the stone once again and placed it carefully in the breast pocket of his shirt. This would be something that he would keep close to his heart, the little blue gem that Maria had enchanted and given to him, thinking of him and his only means of communicating with her for now.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

* * *

He suspected weeks ago that taking that scientist and draining him was a bit of a mistake. Well, not so much of a mistake, but more of something that would spark a new hunger in him. A hunger that could only be sated with the thrill of the hunt, and the satisfaction of a fresh kill.

He firmly believed that he was going from one prison to the next that day that he left the lab, but his rescuers honestly didn't make any effort to restrict him. In fact, they avoided him altogether. He was technically a fully awakened vampire that had the taste for humanoid blood and all of the strong abilities that went with it. There were very few rogue vamps like him. Usually the only time they tasted the blood of a human, was during their unique way of procreation. A bite, a small amount of their own venom, and a drop of their own blood in the wound, leave like a thief in the night, and what's done is done… Just like what happened to him; although, his progenitor had been a bit careless with him. It was a process that took several days and the victim would be completely unaware, most of the time; otherwise, Sho suspected, that if every person that was bit turned, the world would be overrun by them. Of course this wasn't common knowledge, it was something that he wouldn't discover for himself until he was hesitant on the battlefield, _many_, _**many**_ months later.

He found that he favored a night on the town, in the large city a few hundred kilometers away. There were plenty of nightclubs and horny women, with pimps, more than eager to provide what he needed. He felt that if he fed on the scum of society _(their pimps and the miscellaneous violent criminal elements)_, no one would have any complaints and he wouldn't draw attention to himself. After all, what hooker wouldn't want to get rid of her abusive owner? Who would miss a serial killer stalking his victims in the dark on their way home from work? He was justifying his actions by telling himself that he was merely doing society a favor.

_**~xoxo~**_

"Do you want me to do something about him, Erika?" The raven haired male asked the blonde Bakeneko.

She scowled and waved off his concern. "It's not like you'd be able to do anything to him, Hidehito. He's fed off of them and isn't restricted. You wouldn't be able to put a single scratch on him. Besides, I'm sure he'll notice the drawbacks soon anyway. Don't your kind become sensitive to sunlight once on a steady diet of human blood?" She reminded him.

He rolled his eyes in frustration. "Yeah, but the perks far outweigh the disadvantages that come with something like that." He warned.

She smiled viciously. "Perhaps that isn't such a bad thing, considering the circumstances."

It wasn't like he'd never thought of it before. He knew at some point he would probably turn to feeding off of humans as Fuwa was well known to do. His problem with it was the fact that he still had family that was completely human and he honest didn't see them as food. However, she was right, there would be a moment very soon that he would need that extra added boost. Vampires did not do well as passive feeders, and they definitely thrived off of human blood, and not the prepackaged, prescreened, and processed stuff that looked like something a kid would pull out of their backpack to drink with the provided straw at snack time.

* * *

Kanae stood stunned by the changes in the girl since she first encountered her. This being was beyond what she'd been assigned to keep an eye on when they were at the school. She could feel the darkness radiating off the girl. It was borne from the fact that Kyoko no longer trusted _anyone _completely like she had in the past, especially humans. Fortunately for Kanae Kotonami, she was Kitsune. The only human in their group had been Haruki Asami, but she and Lory Takarada were the exceptions for Kyoko. Dr. Asami was the one most familiar with Kyoko's physiology, temperament, and the new skills she'd developed. There was also the fact that Haruki had nothing to hide from her and kept a completely open and transparent mind. Haruki was well versed in the reality that Kyoko could see and hear her every thought. Kyoko had made that very clear to her from their first day at the estate.

"Try again…" Kanae instructed, and watched the young woman, that she was steadily beginning to see as a friend, change her visage. She was still a bit irritated that something like this took many years of practice for a Kitsune to perfect, yet Kyoko had been at it for a week and now she was able to change her hair and eyes, hide her horns, her tail, and wings almost instantaneously. Almost like she had been born with the knowledge. Well, technically it was somewhat instinctual.

Kyoko groaned a little. She was adapting well. She rarely thought of the men that had significantly altered life as she knew it, but what Sho and Ren caused paled in comparison to what she had gone through in the lab. Then there was Reino and Miroku. Granted Reino was more than a little strange, but both had helped her these few months with her views on men. Not all men were lazy, selfish pigs or rigid, bossy, micro-managing tyrants.

Kyoko sighed before starting again. "Can we go somewhere after all of this practice, Mōko-san?" She whined a little.

Ugh, Kanae hated that moniker, but she was starting to get used to it from the girl that she'd been training in Kitsune magic. She honestly never thought she would be training anyone like this. Kitsune only trained their own children and Kanae had no intention of having _**any**_ kits anytime in the near or distant future. She was starting to see her as more of a friend than anything else, Chiori and the others had been more of the status of co-workers. She'd always kept them at a distance so that when the mission was over, it would be less taxing on her emotionally. Friendship didn't usually come easy for her due to that.

"Fine, but you need to impress me and fool the facial recognition software three times in a row, and be able to hold it while distracted. If you can do that, I'll let Reino know that we're going out for a break or something." Kanae told her gruffly. Well, not so much. It wasn't like she wouldn't enjoy the time away from the estate. Kyoko had been there since the rescue, without being allowed out and about. She was like a bird in a gilded cage. Kanae, on the other hand, had been to Tokyo and back several times. She'd been bringing various study materials for Kyoko to study, along with any information she could glean about anything that concerned their situation.

"YAY!" Kyoko squealed, lost focus, and now Kanae was staring at a white-haired, golden-eyed female that closely resembled what legend would have referred to as a demonic succubus, covered in various golden, tattooed markings all over her body. "S-Sorry…" She switched back to her raven-haired former human visage. "That one didn't count, did it?" She asked, a little overanxious about how she looked.

Kanae wanted to punch that stupid vamp for what he'd said about her on the day that everything started. Kyoko was insanely beautiful and alluring, especially in this form. It bothered her to see her like this, yet still insecure about herself.

Kanae shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Mo, that one didn't count, but don't think I'll go easy on you. We can't have you accidentally changing just because something startles you or you get a little excited." She started to leave the room to let Reino know of their plans later, then turned back with her hand on the doorknob. "And keep those little creatures of yours under control." Yes, they were the most troublesome thing about her, in Kanae's opinion. Those little spirit creatures were always hovering around her, causing trouble. What made things worse was the fact that they still needed to be trained and Kyoko needed more control over them. That part of her training was Reino's responsibility.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 21**_

* * *

The nightmares about her had ended, but the new dreams of her had bombarded him in his sleep. She'd changed. Dear lord, she had changed dramatically. No longer was she the innocent looking angel that he had met at his godfather's home or the winged avenger that he'd witnessed on the day she'd been taken away to the labs to be studied. Truthfully, that last part had really shocked him and made him feel a significant amount of guilt. Had he not knocked her out and reported her, as was his duty at the time, none of this would have ever happened. He wouldn't be turning into whatever he was, she would still be alive with Lory, and he wouldn't be taking personal responsibility for the actions of others, once again. Rick had been an accident, but Kyoko was entirely something else when it came to him blaming himself for the crimes of others in the name of science.

"Eat…" Kotetsu sat the bento in front of him and commanded in a grandfatherly tone. "You're body is changing too quickly for you not to." He scolded.

Kuon nodded silently, opening the box as the older gentleman sat across from him and started in on his own meal.

"Notice anything different with your training?" The elder asked casually. Of course he noticed the little creatures that kept him company now. He was wondering if Kuon had noticed them.

Kuon glanced up at him nervously. "You're going to think I'm crazy." He groused, but the man did tell him to let him or Hiroaki know if there was anything new and this was definitely something new.

"Well?" He sat his chopsticks aside and leaned back into his seat.

Kuon did the same, and sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. _Here goes nothing._ He thought. "I have these little ghosts, spirits, or creatures following me around calling me master now. I don't know if they're real, a hallucination caused by the changes, or if they're a figment of my imagination due to the fact that I'm exhausted all of the time now." He finished, allowing the worry seep into his voice.

"Hmm…" Kotetsu sat and pondered for a few moments. He'd been keeping in touch with the other safe-houses, and the one in New York had a similar being that they were training. He wondered if they were similar or if it was indeed the Celestial's blood that had been mixed with his. Perhaps if he told him about her, Kuon wouldn't feel so alone and out of place. He decided to keep it a little vague at the moment. With what had happened, they wanted to keep her a secret for a bit longer. He sighed out. "When the world was new and our kind were on good terms with humans, it is said that there were beings called Celestials. Every species of human can trace their lineage back to them. They were genetically compatible with us all, including _normal_ humans. When their blood is introduced into a host, the host is transformed into one of them in order to extend and carry on to the next generation. It's believed that the early Pharaohs and Kings were these beings. They would have only one female heir and she would be the one to pass on the gift on her wedding night." He finished.

Kuon stared at him for a few moments in silence. "What if there was no female or if she died before they could have children?"

Kotetsu picked up his chopsticks once again. "Well…from what the old texts say, that is why they died out. It was a very rare occurrence for a male to be born at the time. I'm sure it is possible, but it was never recorded. Their blood went dormant or stopped working on the last king of that era… He was human. He had killed her on her wedding night, after she gave him her blood. He stayed human and ended up taking a human queen. That was when all of the races separated and left humans to their own devices." He told him in thought. "I can direct you to the texts, but I doubt you'd be able to translate them. They're written in Sumerian. I don't think you'll be able to find them in any modern human language either."

Kuon's eyes were wide and he could barely breathe. _Would that mean that Kyoko-__chan__ is alive?!_ "S-So… The one whose blood that changed me must be alive… Right?"

Kotetsu nodded as he took another bite of his meal, in silence. "I suppose it's possible." _Oh well, he'll find out sooner or later, anyway._

Kuon felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders; however, that still didn't alleviate the remaining guilt. Thinking of her, she must really despise him for giving her to those scientists. What if those nightmares hadn't been nightmares at all? What if he was actually seeing what she was going through at the time? The nagging need to find her and make sure that she was safe and sound, was overwhelming now.

"I need to find her." He announced in desperation.

Kotetsu shook his head. "Not as you are right now. You may know how to hold your own in a simple fight, but you lack the basic skills to survive with humans. You still need to learn how to hide your new true form, you can't control your servants, and you still need to learn several ways of magic." He scolded as he ticked off all of the many things that Kuon still didn't know, making him feel like a child just starting school.

"When will I be ready?" He groused, thinking that it would take forever before he was able to do anything useful.

Kotetsu chuckled. "When you stop holding yourself back, accept the changes as fact, and make up your mind on what you truly want." He paused. "Oh, and when Dr. Ogata confirms that you've finished with your transformation. Only then will you be allowed out of this compound to meet with her _**and**_ the others."

* * *

"You've been really strange these past few months." His companion commented, as they observed the progress their charge had been making.

Reino glanced at the floor in thought. He'd had many years to contemplate his punishment and redemption. The birth of the little female had been his saving grace in more ways than one. No, he did not want to take her as his mate. He firmly believed that he lost that privilege many years ago. She was their savior, all of them. All of those that had been trapped in that ageless limbo referred to as immortality, had started to age once again at various rates. He could feel it. His clock had finally started ticking forward once again as his blood awakened in his veins. He knew what it was, for a fact. It had happened on Christmas Day. His entire body felt like it had been set on fire, and he could see her face clearly. It was the very day that he contacted his Elvin friend and they set out to find her.

"Is it because you feel guilty?" Miroku asked as he passed his friend a cup of herbal tea, and sipped on his.

Reino sighed. "I suppose it could be."

"You aren't going to try and make her yours, are you?" He asked with worry. Nothing good would come of it if that was Reino's decision. Miroku knew this solely on instinct. Relationships always failed when it came to immortals, especially Reino. He'd not had a successful relationship with a female since he'd known him.

Reino chuckled wryly. "Gods no! I have never in my long life been worthy of such an exquisite creature. I vowed some time ago that if ever given the opportunity to make amends, that I would lay down my life if necessary. I never dreamed that it would happen, ever. I thought that I would walk the Earth for eternity, watching everyone pass around me as everything turned to dust. I can die now. I can be killed. The thought of that is intriguing and terrifying at the same time. I haven't felt this way in almost 7,000 years! It's somewhat exhilarating, yet I still feel I don't deserve this gift that I was given." He explained.

Miroku had always known that Reino was older than he, by how long he wasn't certain, but this was baffling. Compared to his 200 years, Miroku was merely an infant in Reino's eyes and there was a lot he didn't know about him. Things that Reino refused to talk about or was too ashamed to admit. All Miroku really knew at the moment was the facts that Reino had been a human, cursed with immortality and now he was something entirely different, and it had all happened on Christmas Day. He didn't know why he was cursed or how it had happened, but to be punished with something like that… he had to have done something very serious that needed a significant amount of time to reflect upon. Miroku was not about to ask what it was. Most likely it had been something very personal and very bad.

"I don't know what happened to you or why you're this way, but I won't ask. When you feel like telling me, you have my ears, old friend." Miroku told him and they both fell into silence, both in shock. One at the admittance of such a thing that hadn't been spoken of from himself, and the other from the true age of his friend and the realization that the curse had been broken finally. Miroku was happy, yet sad. Happy that Reino would no longer have to endure the torment of being one of the few ageless beings, and sad that now he would have to watch him grow old and eventually die.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

* * *

"If you ever would like to meet with our queen… You will have to be outstanding. As you are now, you are just another decadent immortal, trapped in your own desires. You will need to clean up your act and learn how to lead." She told him with disdain. She hated creatures like him, they were so selfish.

Sho snorted in derision. "You underestimate me, Erika." He leaned in closer and whispered into her ear. "I always get what I want, little kitten." He told the Bakeneko.

Erika's ears went flat and her tail swished in anger as the fur on her neck ruffled in anger. "We shall see, _**Bloodsucker**_." She hissed at him. "Well, if you truly mean what you say, you will need to go through training. The level will be displayed on your body once your reach it. All I can say is… Try not to die _**too**_ many times." She smirked as she walked out of the training room and shut the door with a decidedly loud click as the door locked for the safety of others.

Sho sighed loudly. If this is what he needed to do to get back to Kyoko and redeem himself, he would. He felt terrible now that he thought about how he'd treated her and many other women he'd used in the past.

"_**Salvo one**_… disable them without killing them." A familiar female voice instructed through the intercom in a saccharine tone.

Sho tensed and began his concentration. He needed to figure out how to disable these mindless creatures without killing them, from what he understood and had been told. _Is this bitch trying to kill me?_ He chuckled as he disabled the first wave with a strong thought wave. He suspected that the second wouldn't be so easily dissipated. Yes, he had heard that he could suffer from fatal injuries and recover, but did he really want to test that theory? He hadn't died yet and he wasn't certain that he wanted to put it to the test. Theory was one thing, but actually putting into practice was an entirely different matter. What if it weren't actually true and he did die?

* * *

"She's beautiful, I can understand why you've been traveling between here and New York for the past months." Kotetsu commented to his grandson. "She reminds me of your grandmother." The elder smirked and reveled in his grandson's discomfort.

Hiou Uesugi groaned at the ribbing his grandfather was exposing him to. Wasn't it bad enough to get it from his mother and father about Kanae? Even 200 years ago this would have never happened, but times change and the shadow clan no longer restricted their relationships to their own kind anymore, just like the others. The different races did mix now and what resulted were some very powerful combinations of genetics. Although, there were some that none of them would ever mix with, for example: one would never find an elf and a vampire together, and a vampire would never lower themselves to mate with a werefolk of any type, and don't even think of pairing a Bakeneko with a human. They liked them well enough, but to mate with one would be like mating with one's food. For many of the clans, humans were at the bottom of the food-chain, witches and those with mixed human heritage aside.

"Grandpa… Please…" He begged pathetically.

Kotetsu Uesugi chuckled, and patted him on the back. "Alright, alright… I'll leave you be." He motioned for Hiou to sit on the comfortable chair across from him and poured him a cup of tea. "Tell me, how are they doing in New York?" He asked, knowing that his grandson would tell him all that the others had left out in the reports. Reino was a very secretive being, with good reason.

* * *

If one were to look at the world the way it was now and how it would be in the future, one would never know of the drastic and horrifying things that it took to get there. There were dreams and nightmares that the "Celestials" shared. Images of rivers stained red with blood, bodies and landscape burned from the fires of the intense heat of nuclear explosions, diseases caused by biological weapons meant to cull the impurities of humanity only to bring about the destruction of the "pure" humans that had designed them. In the end, all that would remain would be the crypto-humans and the humans that had barely survived. The pure humans that remained would be so affected by their own doings that a scant few had the ability to reproduce and the offspring resembled something closer to apes than the humans they'd come from.

Kuon awakened in a sweat with a start, rubbing the sleep and the nightmare from his eyes and mind. He groaned quietly and sighed. He'd been having these _"End of the World"_ dreams for awhile now. His were a bit more detailed and gory than Kyoko's, but he had yet to even truly know about her. His were more in the thick of it and hers more of a behind the front-lines, commanding everything type. Reino's were more like Kuon's dreams, but it was something he'd dealt with for many years. He had more ferocious demons haunting him than those of the two young ones. However, he was fully aware of how these things could drive a young or new soul to madness. Knowing this, he advised Kotetsu via the communications stones and kept close watch on his young female charge.

"I see you're now able to hold your image through the night." Kotetsu commented as he entered Kuon's room and tossed him a gi that had slits concealed in the back. "Put this on and eat breakfast. I'm putting you in training room C today." He announced.

Kuon looked up at him a little surprised. "Are you sure I'm ready for that?"

Kotetsu's brow cocked. "Do you doubt my judgment?"

"N-No, Sensei. Sorry." He answered sheepishly. "I-I just…"

"No excuses. Get ready. You'll be training until noon, then studying battlefield tactics." Kotetsu announced. They needed this boy versed in both modern and ancient techniques. He wanted him prepared for any situation that would be coming at them. From what Reino had told him, this would not be a fluffy little modern skirmish won with computers and technology, this was going to be a bloody slaughter involving warm bodies that only left a few of the clans in the end. Even fewer pure humans.

* * *

Kyoko groaned as she flopped into her bed. They had been stepping up her physical training and cramming her brain so full of ancient and modern warfare knowledge, that she felt like her head would explode, and that was saying a lot considering the fact that she had the ability to read something only once and she would know and remember it.

She closed her eyes and opened them again to stare at the canopy above her, wondering if she would dream of the beautiful, blond male like her again tonight. He made the prophetic dreams so much more bearable. She'd stopped wracking her mind weeks ago on ways to prevent the coming events, due to the fact that Reino had told her that it was all set in stone. He had told her that unless she could control the hearts of humans, there would be no way to avoid the coming events. It would be such a senseless waste of human lives… _Why can't we all just peacefully live together? _

She closed her eyes once again, concentrating hard, wondering if she could try and reach him. Somehow communicate with him, learn more about him. She had to admit, he did look a bit like Lt. Tsuruga, but he wasn't like him at all. He was kind, gentle, and sweet to her… when she wasn't dreaming about the horrors to come and dreaming more of the here and now. She wondered if that little brook actually existed or if all of this, including him, were just stress induced illusions her mind had made up to deal with what Reino had told her was to come.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

* * *

"Are you a ghost?" He murmured in his sleep. Kotetsu had given him a little time to himself to rest before his next lessons began, and he decided to spend it taking a nap by the little calming stream in the meadow, near the compound.

Her giggle tinkled like beautiful tiny silver bells. "No, silly Corn. Why would I be a ghost?" She smiled softly and sat next to him.

He didn't answer, not wanting the break the illusion. He rolled to his side and took a lock of her long, white hair between his fingers. "Why is your hair white now?" He asked, enjoying the feel of the silken strands on his fingertips.

She was silent for a long moment. "It just happened…" She answered quietly, then sighed out. "It was that way when they took off my blindfold from the lab." She finally told him, staring up at the clouds as they passed.

He'd long suspected that this was the same Kyoko, the one he'd thought he'd watched perish as the building crumbled before his eyes. "The lab…" _Then… this must be a dream_. He thought sadly.

She nodded. "Reino and Kanae saved me and the others from there. There were others that were saved that day too, but I can't give out the details." She told him, leaning back on her elbows. She glanced over at him. "You're special like me, did they take you from the lab raids too?" She asked curiously.

He shook his head. "I…" He wasn't sure he should tell his origins. What would she think if she knew he was responsible for her initial capture and all of the things that she'd suffered those long months? "My circumstances are a little different than yours. I'm not as special as you are." There was a little guilt and shame in his tone.

She frowned a little at his declaration. "That's not true." She pouted. "Even if you were human first, that doesn't mean you aren't special. You're special because, you are you. Even if you weren't like me, you would still be special…_ At least you would be to me_." She finished quietly with a blush.

He smiled softly. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan."

"I think it's time for you to wake up…" She told him as she stood.

"…Wake up." A familiar voice called to him.

"Sensei?" He answered, groggily pulling away from the heavenly dream he'd just experienced.

Kotetsu's sat next to him, near the bank of the small creek. "You were talking in your sleep." He commented, staring out at the landscape. "Where did you go?" Hoping that the boy hadn't started astral projecting quite yet. He knew for a fact that Kuon wasn't ready for something like that. He hadn't taught him how to leave and return yet. Something like that without instruction could prove to be very hazardous if one didn't know how to return to their body.

Kuon shook his head. "I stayed here, just as you instructed." He told him truthfully as they both stood.

Kotetsu nodded. "Then… Who were you talking to?" He asked out of curiosity.

Kuon grimaced a little. He believed he had a nasty habit of conversing with the dead or imaginary people.

Kotetsu raised a brow, but Kuon didn't notice. He was too busy trying to decipher the meaning of such dreams.

Kuon sighed a little. "It was the girl I told you about. The one I think may still be alive."

Kotetsu nodded. "I suppose if she's visiting you, that's a pretty good indication that she's not dead. Does she know it's you? You do look quite different from your appearance when you came to me for training." He commented, noting the blond hair and green eyes, not to mention the fact he was still struggling with hiding his feathered black wings, and don't even mention the control over his demons. Kuon still had one or two of the four hundred that would act up. It only took one to go out of control around humans to cause trouble for him.

Kuon shook his head in answer.

"That's something you may want to clear up as soon as possible, regardless of whether you believe it's only a dream or not. It's best to get something like that out of the way early so you two can work things out. You or she may need each other at some point and it would be a shame if you were enemies out of a misunderstanding." Kotetsu advised and scolded.

"It was hardly a misunderstanding, Sensei. I literally gave her to them. Something like that can't be misunderstood." He groused. It was a respectful grouse, but a grousing nonetheless.

* * *

"I do have to say I'm impressed Akazukin-chan." He gave a little proud smirk. Maybe if he could travel back about 14,000 years this feeling would be considered a paternal pride. "However, you should be more careful to where you travel to. I don't want you getting trapped there." He lectured lightly.

"Sorry, Reino. I didn't really think of something like that. So… You're definitely saying that it wasn't a dream and he's real?" There was a hint of hope in her voice. She had come to like Corn over the visits between them these past few months.

Reino nodded. "Very real." He paused in thought, wondering if she actually knew his true identity. "Are you aware of his identity?" He asked.

She frowned a little, and nodded. "I think he might be Lt. Tsuruga; although, I'm not completely sure. He looks a lot like him and sounds like him." She told him, tucking her legs beneath her to get more comfortable on the small sofa. She sighed. "Ahh… Who am I kidding?" She grimaced. "It's him, I just don't know why he would lie to me."

Reino chuckled then sipped his herbal tea. "Perhaps he feels guilty for everything that happened due to his actions." Reino suggested. Of course he already knew, Kotetsu had been keeping him briefed on the many situations in Japan and Kuon was one of them. He'd already been exposed to her blood and it had taken full effect on him as it would have if he had been crowned her king. Reino still didn't understand why his own had awakened, there had never been two that were affected at the same time in the past. Perhaps it had something to do with her absolutely pure lineage. She was the same as the very first Celestials. She'd literally only been born that last December. He wondered if her blood was so potent that it would essentially change anyone, creating her own tribe of them. He made a mental note to speak to Dr. Asami later on the subject. He wasn't sure if it would be a bad or good thing for an individual to be exposed on accident.

She glanced at him with furrowed brow. "Why would he feel guilty? He didn't know they would do those things to me. He was only doing as he was ordered." Honestly, her reasons for initially disliking him were not what he assumed they would be and those reasons were gradually dissipating because of _'Corn'_.

Reino sighed. She was still so naive and childlike. He shook his head. "Kyoko, some people can feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. He may not have done those things personally, but he feels that his actions were directly responsible for your situation." He explained to her as she needed, as if she were a small child.

"Oh…" She looked over at him again. "But if he hadn't, I really don't think I would be here like I am now." She pointed out.

He chuckled. "So, does that mean that you forgive Mr. Fuwa also?"

"Ugh…" She grimaced. "I suppose so…even if he is a dirtbag playboy."

_It would seem that 'dirtbag playboy' is cleaning up his act, from what Erika has told me_. He nodded in approval. It only takes one very hard lesson to teach someone about the world and the way things are. Some get it, some don't. Fortunately for Sho, he was learning his lesson well.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

* * *

Normally things came easy when it came to acquiring information for Lory Takarada; however, since he was in the 'eye of the hurricane' so to speak, he was having to take the more difficult routes to find the information he needed to protect those that he had recently adopted to protect. He certainly didn't approve of the way several in their government were viewing the crypto-humans, and he most definitely was not going to stand on the sidelines and allow them to be slaughtered and experimented on as they had done to those that they had trapped in the labs.

He felt a deep sense of shame and grief because he hadn't been able to prevent what happened to Kyoko, and he sure as hell wasn't about to allow Maria to experience any of that now that he knew the truth. He was relieved that Maria, Kyoko, and Kuon were being protected by some very powerful and talented individuals; although, he wasn't thrilled at all with the news that there was a very big storm coming. He'd truly believed that humanity had moved past all of that ugly war nonsense when space exploration was introduced several hundred years ago. Humanity ceased being conquerors then, or so he thought. He shook his head at the thoughts in his mind. _How can we be peaceful explorers if we can't even be tolerant of our own?_ And yes, he did see the crypto-humans as part of humanity. Most likely the eldest part of it too.

"Ah!" He startled when the stone in his pocket grew warm and surprised him. He removed the bluish-purple gem that was now glowing in amber, the color of his daughter's eyes. He quickly removed it and gently rubbed it.

"Hi Daddy." She greeted cheerily. Even if she didn't look very much like her old self, she was still beautiful and she seemed to be doing much better.

Lory smiled softly and sighed in relief. "Hello Princess. I haven't heard from you in a long time. How are you doing over there?"

She glanced down and pouted a little. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean not to contact you."

He chuckled softly. "It's okay. I know you've been busy with your training. How is that going?"

She grimaced. "I-I've learned a few new things." She answered vaguely, but he knew that it was necessary.

He nodded. "Can you talk about what you're learning or is that something that you aren't allowed to reveal?" He asked cautiously. He didn't want her revealing anything that could put her or the others in jeopardy.

She shook her head. "I can tell you a little. Um… I've been learning to control myself better."

He sighed inwardly in relief. "That's good. You needn't tell me more. We can talk about it when we meet again." He told her.

She looked as if she were going to cry. "I miss you…" She murmured sadly. "I promise I won't be much longer. Reino says that I'm almost done."

Lory shook his head lightly. "Don't worry about it, Sweetie. Take your time and learn your lessons well. I don't want you rushing something that needs time. Okay? You're safety is more important."

She nodded. "But I'm really not rushing. Everyone here has been working so hard to teach me quickly." She paused briefly. "Maria should be finished with her training soon, too. Yashiro-san told me that she's doing really well with fairy magic, and Itsumi brought her to see me the other day. She said that she picked up elf magic the first week she spent in Avalon."

Lory nodded. _Ah… Isn't that where she was for a month? So wouldn't that mean that she picked it up in a day?_ Lory marveled. His girls were quite impressive indeed, as was Kuon. He was doing quite well himself, according to Kotetsu Uesugi.

Their communication didn't last for that much longer after that. Just the average _'I love you's', 'I miss you's', and the 'I promise it won't be much longer's'_.

* * *

"Stop worrying about it. Your disguise spells and shifting abilities will conceal them." Kotetsu reminded Kuon as he examined the many new markings on his body he'd noticed after his latest training session.

"What are they?" He asked a little more worried than he needed to be.

Hiou laughed. "Devil Girl has more than you and she didn't react like that." He scoffed while eyeing the other male. "Their your Ranking Marks. At least that's what _**we**_ call them. Elder Reino calls them the marks of true Royalty, depending on where they show." Hiou displayed the two on his wrists and the one around his neck that looked like a necklace of tattooed chains.

Kuon looked in the mirror at the thorny vines creeping up from beneath his trousers, over his torso, to his neck, on his arms, his chest, back and gradually beginning to climb to the right side of his face to his temple. He stared into the slitted, cat-like green eyes staring back at him and the familiar pale gold hair that he had tried to hide for so long and sighed. _Now the outside fits the inside._ He thought. Even though others would now truly think he was a monster or mutant, he could honestly say he felt more comfortable in this skin than his humanity.

"Looks like you're almost ready." Kotetsu commented in passing as Kuon shifted to his original appearance. "You're Godfather has been asking about you ever since he was contacted."

Kuon looked at him in surprise. "He knows?" He asked with furrowed brow and anxiety in his tone.

The elder chuckled. "Of course he knows. He's been asking about the three of you for weeks."

"Three of us?" Kuon asked in confusion.

Hiou sighed and shook his head. "In case you haven't figured it out yet… Demon Queen is his daughter. Then there's her Second, the little witch." Hiou shivered just thinking about that scary little girl. He'd never met a more powerful witch. He made it a point not to piss her off when he was around her. She could easily turn him into a spider or snake.

"Her Second?" Kuon asked in curiosity.

Kotetsu nodded. "Her Advisor In Training."

It sounded like they were gearing up for something really big if they were already addressing Kyoko and Maria as such. He wondered who else would be rallying around her in the future.

* * *

Her reign was already in the process of beginning; although, she did not have a male counterpart yet… A king to stand by her side. Reino would not ever be taking up that mantle again. He firmly believed he had failed in that long ago, and didn't deserve the honor or the prestige. Kotetsu was grooming the boy for that. Hopefully Kyoko would accept him. She'd already accepted her Royal Guard without knowing it. Hell, she didn't even know what she meant to the community yet. She believed she was merely a common little worker bee in this hive. No, no. She was already the queen and others were accepting her as such. She had participated and planned many of the latest successful raids and rescues.

There were many crypto-humans that owed her greatly and eagerly followed her. She had done so much in the past months. Whether it was organizing the raids, personally attending to the orphans created by the humans, gathering resources, or even helping in the field hospitals, she was out there and she was behaving like a true leader. Without realizing it, she had become their Queen Mother.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter 25**_

* * *

Never in his short life had he ever felt as inferior as he did when he was finally able to meet her again. For once in his life he felt compelled to kneel in submission before a woman, his queen, their queen. The way she carried herself, the way she looked. She was strong, yet gentle. He had witnessed her kindness and her cruelty during the recoveries of their people. She was highly intelligent and a quick learner. Most of all, she listened to those around her and took their advice. She was worthy of the title they had secretly bestowed upon her.

"_So, that's what a Celestial looks like."_ The dark-haired male vamp next to him breathed out in awe.

Sho glanced at him. _"Don't do anything stupid Kijima. __S__he's not like us."_ He warned quietly. He glanced up and across the room to notice an irate and fuming Blonde Bakeneko sending him a warning glare. He nodded to her, to let Erika know he was paying attention.

_She's changed so much._ He thought morosely. _It's my fault._ He couldn't help, but remember his time in locked in the labs and wonder if they did the same to her. He'd asked others about their time, but no one cared to talk about their experience. He didn't even want to think what they would have done to her, considering the rumor that she was a culmination of them all. He'd heard somewhere that a Celestial was the most ancient of their species and she was rumored to be a pure one. The purest of the pure.

This meeting was more of an information session. They were being instructed to warn those they were caring for to be more cautious. The humans were trying to infiltrate their communities to root them out. Apparently they were trying for a mass extermination. It was only a matter of time before they just dropped the pretense and tried killing them openly. The crypto-humans that had recently been murdered, had been killed in a police station and labeled as terrorists. The desperation to segregate humanity had officially gone beyond the borders of insanity. It was only a matter of time before the humans did something incredibly stupid. There were several communities of crypto-humans that were stockpiling several underground locations and planning for a very grim future. It reminded many of the time when the fate of Earth was threatened with nuclear disasters in the past. Not that it ever went that far, but it could easily do so this time. Those types of weapons had become more precise over the years.

"_Fuckers, they can't study us in their labs, so they want to destroy us."_ Hidehito hissed quietly in anger.

"_You think they'll go after our families?"_ Sho asked, worried about his mother and father. Sure, they'd given him trouble in the past, but that was a normal thing between parents and their child and he knew it. He wondered what his mom and dad would think of him now. Would they go somewhere safe if he asked them to or would they consider him dead to them?

"In conclusion, if any of you have family that you can trust. You may want to make arrangements for their safety. It will only get worse before it gets better." He heard her comment sadly. "I know many of you have family that is human, so I won't blame you for not wishing to participate, but please remember that it is for the survival of our kind that you cannot reveal what you have learned today." She gave a final warning, knowing that these were her most trusted. Even if they weren't, she would still give them the chance to gather their loved ones and bring them. From her visions and the recent intel, she knew what they would face soon, she wished to save as many as possible.

* * *

Kouki Takarada stared at his father and daughter in shock. He'd hoped that what he'd witnessed had been a lie. He'd never told his father of the secret that he and Lina had shared before she died. He'd also hoped that Maria did not inherit their talents, yet she did. He fell to his knees and Maria flung herself into his arms apologizing to him.

"Maria… there's nothing wrong with you, my little princess." He told the sobbing little witch as he stroked her hair.

"Kouki, you and Maria need to go with Kyoko and her guards. They will take you somewhere safe." Lory announced as he sat behind his desk and pulled out a cigar. "I don't want you two involved in this."

Kouki looked up as his father and shook his head. "It's already too late for that, Dad. I got involved in it when Lina and I fell in love." He confessed.

Lory gave him a confused look and watched as his son murmured something, wiggled his fingers and his teacup was quickly filled with little gold spiders. "AH!" He laughed. "I was wondering where Maria got that, you scamp!" Lory groaned. "Okay… What do we do now?"

"Sorry I've been hiding it, Dad. I just…" He sighed out, still holding his stunned daughter.

"Daddy? You're like me? But…" Maria stammered in shock.

He gave her a soft smile. "I'm sorry, Princess. I only hid it to protect you, but I suppose it was something I should have told you." He confessed. He glanced up at his father. "I should have told you too, Dad. Sorry."

Lory sighed. It wasn't that he didn't think of getting completely immersed in this conflict, he just wanted to do it a bit more covertly. Now that he knew where Maria got her talents, there was far more at stake than he anticipated. All those years ago when Jun had teased him about her being a witch, he thought she was just playing around. Now, he could see that she wasn't. He wondered now about Ten. How many other unique people did he have surrounding him? He gave a small smile and a little chuckle. "No need boy. You take after your mother more than I thought." He alit from his seat and took his family in his arms. "I suppose we all need to make arrangements then." Yes, he would need to find a way to contact Kuu and Juli too. They probably wouldn't take any of the events well.

* * *

Kuon sat on the tiny cot in the barracks that they'd placed him in. He didn't want special treatment, and he certainly wasn't ready for her to see him yet, so he'd been placed with the other new recruits. It wasn't like this was something new to him; however, the circumstances were. Hiou had just come to tell him that if he could trust his parents, it would be advisable to retrieve them or find somewhere safe for them. He wasn't sure how to explain everything that had happened to him or what he was involved in. He was pretty sure that his father would jump at the chance to go with him, but he wasn't sure if his mother would come or force him to stay with them.

The visions he'd been having lately were terrifying. He didn't want to go home after and find the charred bones of his parents in the rubble of their home. He was certain that the upcoming events would stop for no one. Even if he'd been isolated at the Uesugi compound these past months, he was well aware of the direction things were going. One did not need to be a military genius to know something like that. Instead of capturing crypto-humans, they had started exterminating them. It was sickening and a prime of example of the worst that humanity could be, and it had only just started to warm up. They weren't even sparing children or the humans that lived with them. That was obvious from the small community of peaceful, reclusive Kappa that had been destroyed in Kyoto less than two weeks prior.

No! This was important. He would be going back to Los Angeles. He would not allow his mother and father perish in this nonsense.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter 26**_

* * *

He stood standing nervously in the doorway for several minutes. He hadn't been back to this place for awhile and wasn't sure what the reception would be like. He forced himself to take in a deep breath of crisp morning air. Everything was so clean and quiet, almost like what his home for the past months had been.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to continue to block the way, Shotaro?" A firm, yet gentle female voice asked as she carried a tea set to her office.

"Oka-san? You saw me here?" How did she see him? He thought he had hidden himself better than that. He'd been trained for god's sake. What would happen if other humans could see him?

She smiled knowingly. "Come join me for tea before breakfast. Or…have you already eaten?" She asked then shook her head. "No, of course you have."

He furrowed his brow and followed her to her office. He honestly didn't realize how much he'd actually missed his family, but the prospect of actually losing them to this and never seeing them again, brought forward the longing for his family. His mother specifically. Even if he hadn't been close to his father, his mother was his. She was the example he always thought of when it came to the pinnacle of womanhood. She was strong, gentle, stern, kind, yet she was humble and modest.

He reached out, grabbed her and wrapped her in a strong hug. "I missed you so much. Thank you for taking care of me and being so patient with me." He mumbled into her shoulder. "I love you, Mama."

* * *

His parents sat in front of him, completely stunned. They had no idea things had gotten to this point. His father honestly didn't know what to say about the entire situation.

"We'll go with you, _{Baby Boy}_. There is no world without you, Kuon." Juli told him in tears as she wrapped him in her arms. "If you say it's this way, I'm willing to go."

Kuu pulled his wife and son into his arms and agreed. "We will not make the mistake of not going with you this time, Kuon."

Kuon sighed in relief. "Isn't this going to affect your careers?" He asked a little worried. They had always put that first. It was what he worried about the most when coming to them.

"I refuse to leave this life for work." Juli told him as she pulled away. "Where will we be going?"

Kuon shook his head. "Sorry. I won't be able to tell you for security reasons. Too many lives are at stake for something like that." He warned.

"When do we leave?" Kuu asked just out of curiosity. No, he wasn't going to let anyone know they were leaving. Considering what Kuon had told them, they probably wouldn't have been allowed to and Kuon would probably be taken into custody. Kuu and Juli were fully aware of how they were rounding up families and putting them in _"quarantine"_. However, they were **not** revealing that these people were crypto-humans, and they certainly weren't divulging the little tidbit that the majority of those compounds were being raided and emptied regularly by Kyoko and her supporters.

"We can leave whenever you're ready." Of course they could. He had excelled at Kitsune magic. Making a portal was nothing to him. Kotetsu told him that Kyoko had excelled at Fairy magic. Which was appropriate in his mind. To him, she did look like a fairy. At least when she visited him in his dreams or was he the one that did the visiting. He wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

"I'm sorry… I had to do it to protect you. A Dhampir would never survive and neither would a human." She confessed in tears.

"Y-You didn't turn Dad?" Sho asked with furrowed brow.

She sighed sadly and shook her head. "Only Dhampir can be turned Shotaro. A human has to have a vampire bloodline in order to turn without dying. It would have killed him." She explained.

Oh, there was so much that he didn't know. So much that the legends and books either didn't know or got completely wrong.

"Will you just come with me? Otou-san can go with us." He coaxed.

She was hesitant. She wasn't sure if her better half would be willing to go and she didn't wish to leave him behind.

"Mama, they've been killing the humans that our kind are with along with us." He plead with her. "If you stay… So will I." He confessed. He didn't want to lose what little family he had left. He had burned a lot of bridges in his life. This was one that he would not destroy. He was determined.

"I cannot allow you to take that risk. You have too many that rely on you now, Shotaro." She told him.

"We will go." A stern male voice announced as the elder of the Fuwa males entered unannounced. He gave his wife a soft look and caressed her cheek. "I've known for years, Koi."

Sho had to admit that he was a little envious of the scene now. If one were to say that he wouldn't have been nauseated by the little display six months ago, he would have punched them in the face. He smiled softly, hoping deep down that some day he would find the one to match him.

* * *

When all was said and done, there really weren't that many that had human families or that had families that were outside the shelters and compounds. The elves and fairies had their own means of dealing with the situation. Their communities had been hidden and protected from humanity from the very beginning. They had never actually trusted the humans. Yes, there were a few here and there that communed with them and actually decided to mingle with them; however, those that did didn't bring them back to their hidden lands.

There were other communities that chose to go to the shelters specifically with their own kind. Those that would normally be harmful to others sheltered together, such as those that gathered in packs, vampires, and shades.

It wasn't long before scientists began testing to authenticate an individual's humanity and there were many natural humans that took offense to it. They divided into factions: those that believe in and supported the crypto-humans, and those that feared and hated them. The line was being drawn in the sand and Kyoko and her people could not leave the humans that supported them to fight alone. Not when they were trying so hard to protect and befriend them. So, many volunteered to lend a hand to their supporters and that's when it all started to snowball into something that would change the fate of Earth and put _pure_ humans on the brink of extinction.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Chapter 27**_

* * *

_**Flashback**_

It was awful to say the very least. The guilt hit her _almost_ immediately, but it had been necessary to kill that guard. The woman hadn't seen trying to kill a child a problem in the slightest, and they way she intended to do it had been unnecessary and especially brutal. Kyoko could instantly see that that human did not see her kind as members of humanity, but as monsters or animals. So, as the woman had the toddler's neck firmly in her grip, while the child struggled to be released, Kyoko's slender, bony tail wrapped around the woman's neck, the tip pierced through her back, and as she pulled away, her head came off as if a blade had been wrapped around her.

At the time, she didn't have time to think of what she had done. It had been her first kill of her many raids and skirmishes, yet the only thing in her mind was to save a child that was still in diapers and had barely learned how to walk. The only thing she had seen were those images of the vicious murderess, her laughing, and what she was obviously about to do. Kyoko's mind was in a haze of complete fury when she executed the villainess and caught the sobbing infant in her waiting arms.

"Shh, shh… It's okay now. I'm here. I'll protect you." She comforted in tears. She had just made her first official kill, yet she had done so to protect another. She kept inwardly chastising herself that she didn't have to kill the woman, but there was another part of her that felt so completely satisfied that she had. She was emotionally conflicted. She sunk to her knees, rocking back and forth in the corner of the chaotic, large, prison-like room that had been lined with cages and cells. Only when a pair of large male arms surrounded her, did she realize that the cacophony of her surroundings had been completely drowned out by the chaos in her heart and mind. It was him.

"You did the right thing. It's okay. They aren't humans anymore, they're monsters. Only a monster would happily kill a baby." He murmured to her as his four shiny, black, feathered wings wrapped around her and the baby she was holding.

He was there. He was there with her. Holding her, comforting her, protecting her, and he was real. Her Corn was real. All those times hadn't been just dreams. Those were now the only thoughts in her mind as he lifted her and the baby in his arms, created a portal to their destination and walked through with her.

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

The decision to take her to their main medical compound had been a spur of the moment decision for him, but a good one. He'd almost done it on instinct alone and he fully trusted Dr. Ogata and Dr. Asami. They were the most familiar with his own new physiology and he assumed they were familiar with Kyoko's too, all things considered. The baby needed to be checked on and Kyoko's mental state needed tending to. He knew what a first kill could do to someone so innocent. He didn't wish for her pure soul to be tainted by it like his had when Rick had died because of him. He didn't wish for her to feel an ounce of guilt towards killing such a creature as that woman had been. He had seen the entire scene as he rushed to help her, after disposing of his own troubles.

It had been several days since Kyoko's first kill, and she and baby Kazu still clung to each other. Gradually the infant gravitated his attentions toward Yuuko, Hiou Uesugi's mother, and Ryotaro Uesugi's wife. She had been helping with the sick and injured when Kuon brought them in. Kyoko felt it was better for little Kazu that way considering he was a child of the Shadow Clan. It was better that someone of his own kind adopt him and care for him. They would know what to expect and give him the proper care that he needed. Although, that would not keep her and Kuon both, from visiting him on a regular basis.

The entire event and the things that happened between them afterword, had brought them infinitely closer. Kuon was relieved that she was still alive and well, and she was happy that he wasn't just a dream or a figment of her vivid imagination. It had taken her several days after her first kill to finally realize it, and it was only due to the fact that he'd spent every waking moment after that doting on her. He wanted to make sure that she hadn't been scarred by the event, which is why he spilled his memories to console her, to let her know that she had made the right decision. It was then that he realized that anyone he'd ever ended or been responsible for their death, the decisions at the time had been the right ones. With Rick, he'd been watching over Tina and things had just spun out of his control. With his missions, he was protecting the innocent and following orders. Any situation he'd ever been in, the outcomes had been out of his complete control, even if at time it hadn't been his responsibility.

"So… You're Lt. Tsuruga?" She murmured the question as they sat near a little stream that ran through the main compound.

He nodded quietly in assent. "Sorry I didn't tell you when I started going on missions with you guys." He apologized.

She leaned back into the grass and sighed. "How did you get like me? Were you that way already?" She asked, wondering if he was like Reino.

He shook his head. "This...this is a recent development for me. It took me a little by surprise." He told her, not sure how she would take it if he told her he'd been exposed to her blood directly.

For her, his answer was a little confusing. It really wasn't the answer she'd been looking for, and it made it sound like he was like the former King. Perhaps he would go into more detail later on, when he trusted her more. "Oh…"

"Um… Meaning that I wasn't born this way and no one in my family was either… from what I know." He clarified. "It's just that some things happened and I kinda got like this. It's not really a bad thing, but it takes a lot of getting used to." He explained hastily.

She nodded in understanding. "I can kinda relate. The day they caught me…" She took in a deep cleansing breath. It was still a touchy subject for her, as she still didn't know for certain that it was Ren that knocked her out. "The day they caught me was really my first big experience. I honestly really didn't know what was going on or what I was until Reino and his group saved me from that lab." She confessed.

Kuon wanted to find a hole to bury himself in. In one aspect he was glad that she still didn't know he was responsible for her capture, but in another he felt a deep sense of guilt and shame. He wondered if he should remind her what they'd discussed in their dreams. The truth of the situation. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and decided that if she should hate him, he should just get it over with. "The dreams… You know they weren't just dreams." He reminded. Ah, many things were discussed in those dreams.

She sighed out. "Oh...so they weren't dreams after all… In that case, I suppose I should tell you that I still feel the same. It wasn't your fault. You were just doing what you thought was right at the time, and your job, Corn." She glanced at him with a full blush, remembering their more intimate conversations. "I haven't changed my mind either._ I still like you_…" She finished quietly.

He looked at her a little surprised, then smiled softly. "And I, you Kyoko-chan."

She patted her blushing cheeks, trying to rid herself of her embarrassment, then pouted cutely. "I don't know what to do now. I've never had anyone that actually liked me back." She confessed, remembering her last crush. Sho… That one didn't do so well. She frowned a little, and felt a gentle caress brushing her hair behind her ear.

"You can't count that one, Kyoko-chan. Even he would admit that now." He told her, knowing that she was thinking of that vampire punk that caused her to go out of control in the beginning.

She groaned a little. "I suppose you're right. He did apologize for that, and admitted he'd been childish."

He snorted in derision. "**That** isn't childish, **that** is just being what you call a _**playboy**_." He instructed with a smirk. "**And** I personally believe he got off easily." He chuckled playfully. He felt relieved. He was able to get her mind off of all of the heavy events going on in their lives at the moment and made her smile. That alone was worth it. Not to mention, _she liked __**him**_. He smiled softly at the thought.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Chapter 28**_

* * *

This wouldn't be a quick little _one-two-punch and you're out_ skirmish, and she knew it. This struggle for her people would likely last a human lifetime and she was mostly prepared to accept that fact, as were her comrades in arms. However, what they did not expect was for the pure humans to shoot themselves in the foot by releasing a particularly nasty engineered virus in an attempt to wipe out everyone they considered monsters.

Fortunately for her allies, they had two extremely talented scientists on their side, Dr Ogata and Dr Asami. By them, a serum was created from Kyoko's blood and everyone, including the humans on their side, had been vaccinated. Yes, it did change them all. Those that were already crypto-human became stronger and more powerful in their own abilities and those that were pure human on their side joined the ranks of the crypto-humans, awakening the sleeping genetics within and spawning entirely new clans: shape-shifters, wraiths, and many that had been extinct for a very long time.

Unfortunately for the humans that preferred to claim themselves as pure, they hadn't been so lucky. Within a year the side-effects were already starting to show: infants born with severe congenital defects, and small children under the age of five were showing signs of intellectual regression. Within the five years after, the virus had begun to evolve and humanity started to devolve. It wasn't long before the_ pure_ humans were more like chimps and apes. For those watching from the sidelines, it was heartbreaking to see the fall of mankind.

Over the many years that Reino had been cursed to be alive, he had watched human-kind spiral into a false sense of self-importance. With the knowledge he had, he expected this ending for them. For a long time he'd seen them as his own children, and in a way they all were. However, it was time for his children to accept their punishment and step aside, allowing those that had been there longer than them to begin their rightful reign. It was a relief.

In the end, there would be 12 ruling families. At least one per continent, two for some of the larger, and a few that would represent the various islands that dotted the planet. To avoid strife amongst them, it was decided to infuse them with Kyoko's blood, turning each governing family into the Celestial that she, Kuon, and Reino were. Thousands upon thousands of years prior, this had not been possible due to the fact that the initial Celestial was not a child of _The Gods_, but a diluted mix. Only three at the time could survive. Things as they were now, were perfect for the survival of a full clan of Celestials and the others were more than willing to allow them to take up the mantle and responsibility of such a monumental task. The task of bringing their civilization back on line, and keeping the order and peace that they so richly desired in their lives.

* * *

The Tengu female glanced up at her female patient as she entered the room and smiled brightly. "Good morning, Your Highness. How are you feeling today?" She asked, knowing full well how Kyoko felt, and what her answer would be.

Kyoko took in a deep breath to fight off the nausea plaguing her and groaned. "Miserable, Asami-Sensei. I have no idea what's wrong with me."

Dr. Asami sat in the chair next to the small portable table in the room as Kyoko remained on the examination table in her thin hospital gown. "Well…" She started as she looked over Kyoko's medical record. "I think perhaps you may want to call His Majesty, Kuon to accompany you. This is something that both of you need to be here for." She informed her.

Kyoko looked at her worriedly as she pulled the phone from her bag that had been on the floor. "Will they let him through to the exam rooms?" Kyoko asked as she dialed.

Asami nodded absently. "They'll show him in."

_**Dr. Asami would like to talk to us together. -Kyoko**_

She shot him a text message. After this past few years, things were starting to get back to a semblance of normal for her and the rest of the crypto-humans. It had been six years since the first time she had been released from that lab, and only a year since the _pure_ humans began regressing en masse. In order to prevent them from going completely extinct due to their infighting and sickness, a few select specimens were captured and introduced into comfortable, clean habitats to ensure their survival and hopefully one day to restore them to their former condition.

_**On my way, Baby -Kuon**_.

She was reading his reply just as the nurse brought him in and shut the door behind him. Kuon rushed to her side with worry. She had never been sick, and he was worried that it may be a new strain to the virus that they had yet to discover. He hugged her tightly, and kissed her temple. "It's okay. We'll get through this, I promise." He consoled quietly.

Asami chuckled, surprising the pair. "It's nothing serious Kuon, Kyoko. I just wanted you two here together so that I could tell you the good news…"

They both gave her a confused look as she smiled brightly.

"Congratulations! You're going to be parents!" She announced happily.

Kyoko sat in shock and Kuon swooned. They would be the eighth royal family this past year to receive this news. The first two were rumored to be pregnant with boys. The others were still too early to determine.

* * *

"_**We present to you the first Celestial Princess, Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Saena Juliena Hizuri!"**_ The jovial Royal Advisor, Lory Takarada announced his new granddaughter with all the flair that his magic allowed, as taught by Maria. Little sparkles, flashes of colorful starlight, and glittering snowflakes fluttered in the air around the gathered crowd of media in front of the palace. Thus far all of the other royals that had been born, had been male children and later it would be discovered that the final two would also be boys. Little Princess Saena would be the only female Celestial born until almost eighteen years in the future.

* * *

Everything they did was new to their new world. New laws would be enacted. New traditions would be celebrated. The pure humans that were off-planet remained there in order to avoid the plague that had nearly wiped them out and Earth became a home for the crypto-humans who were immune to the disease that was meant to harm them.

When Princess Saena reached the age of sixteen, all of the royals had gathered together and planned a tournament for her hand in order to prevent a war between their sons that would surely break out if they hadn't. The young candidates would train, they would earn their runes, perfect their talents and become the elite of their kind in order for a chance to woo the stunning raven-haired, green-eyed beauty that complimented both of her parents in beauty and talent.

Many, many years later a little witch would tell her Onee-sama of Princess Saena's bold actions, and said Onee-sama would repeat what her glorious ancestor did for the very same reasons. To take control over what she wanted and not leave her love to fate.

* * *

_**~fin~**_


	29. King Reino

_**King Reino:**_

* * *

"To do this you must have very high aspirations, Milord."

He chuckled wryly. "I only wish for what is best for humanity. Those monsters do not deserve the status and power that she can grant." He told his closest with confidence.

His steward nodded in agreement. "Are you certain you can win the tournament?"

He gave him a confident smirk. "I will use the tools I have been given." Yes, the poisons he had been taught would give him an extreme advantage over those that weren't human. He would win the tournament, be blessed with the blood of a Celestial, and then rid humanity of the last of their kind to no longer be ruled over like slaves to the non-humans.

"May the gods bless your endeavor, Your Eminence." His faithful steward bowed deeply then prepared his leader's mount for the competition.

* * *

This wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to feel this much guilt for what he was about to do to this exquisite creature, but it was for his own kind. Wasn't it? His mind was in chaos as his hand was joined with hers in the arena to let the world know he was the victor. He hesitantly took the gold chalice and imbibed deeply the wine that had been mixed with a single drop of her blood to tie them for eternity. Next would be the proof that their marriage was consummated before the elders of each tribe.

He had taken her many times that night after they had confirmed that the vows were complete. The conviction that he was doing the right thing was so strong in him, that he felt no remorse for dragging that sharp blade across her throat as she slept in his arms. She hadn't even had the voice or strength to curse him as he watched the life fade from her ethereal golden eyes. As she faded, so did his ill-gained power.

* * *

"King Reino, for your crime against humanity, you shall be cursed to wander the Earth in contemplation until such a time that the Celestials return to grant you a reprieve." The Elvin judge sat back in his seat. "You have doomed us all by your actions, and you shall suffer with us."

Those words had haunted him for centuries, for millennia. Over the years he had come to know the many other clans and their suffering at the hands of the pure humans. He came to know how weak and spineless pure humans could be. How they would kill anything and anyone they didn't understand, how they would refuse to accept anything that didn't fit into their beliefs or their way of life. He saw how blind he'd been in protecting what he believed was an innocent and fledgling race. Then she appeared. His goddess, a completely pure Celestial. A true daughter of the gods had come to grant him a reprieve. A reprieve that he now firmly believed that he didn't deserve. She was even more beautiful than the bride he had sacrificed long ago, and the guilt from his actions pierced through him every time he laid eyes upon her. It took every bit of strength within him to prevent himself from throwing himself at her feet and begging forgiveness every time she spoke or he looked at her.

* * *

"Y-You want me to care for him?" He stammered as the elder Uesugi placed the toddler in his arms.

Kotetsu Uesugi chuckled and smiled at him. "Of course. Kazu-chan has quite a bit of potential and you are the only one that I know of that can give him the care that he needs to develop properly." He explained.

Reino stared down at the child in his arms. He never even considered raising a child, much less one with the skills of the Shadow Clan. "Wouldn't it be better if you trained him?"

Kotetsu shook his head. "He's a bit more special than we are. Only you have this type of experience." He told him. "I'm sure you'll understand if you only spend a few nights with him."

Reino looked on in confusion. What could he be talking about? He sighed. "Fine, but I cannot guarantee that I will do a good job of it."

Kotetsu laughed. "Trust me, you'll do fine."

* * *

"Father, do you think she'll like it?" His beautiful, talented son asked as he brandished the small blue stone.

Reino chuckled. "If it's from you, Sae-chan won't be able to refuse."

Kazu let our a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dad."

Reino glanced at his adoptive son and felt a deep sense of sadness. He could only hope that Kazu did well in the tournament. Otherwise, the boy would have to live with a broken heart for the rest of his days.

* * *

Reino stood in stunned silence as the denizens of the arena roared in approval.

"As his father, do you agree to this union?" The high priest asked, and Reino nodded in shock. Kazu had won. He had achieved his heart's desire.

"I present to you the future King and Queen, Prince Kazu, son of His Eminence Reino, and Her Royal Highness Princess Saena, daughter of Queen Kyoko and King Kuon."

Never in all of his long life did he believe that he would have an heir to his legacy, much less that said heir would one day rule their world with a pure Celestial at his side after what he'd done.


End file.
